


euphony

by peppermint_latte



Series: Sol [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Devil May Cry 5 Spoilers, Eventual Romance, Humor, M/M, Poetry, Reader-Insert, Romance, pretty much anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 12:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermint_latte/pseuds/peppermint_latte
Summary: “What have you dragged me into Nero.” Sol wonders to himself as he stares at the destruction wrought in Red Grave.What's a man to do if he has no demonic heritage but he still gets dragged into this mess? Lucky Sol trained with Nero years ago and has a few years of devil hunting under his belt. How will he deal with what's to come and what will he think of the mysterious V?





	euphony

**Author's Note:**

> All characters (except Sol) belong to Capcom. I don't own the story of DMC 5.
> 
> I reference several poems by William Blake throughout the fic, all of these have a corresponding reference in the notes at the end of the fic. They're not mine and I make no claim to them.
> 
> Sol is an OC but honestly you can pretty much read this as a male x reader if you like, I won't be mad.

“What have you dragged me into Nero.” Sol wonders to himself as he stares at the destroyed city ahead of him. He parked his car a few miles out of town, hoping to avoid anyone trying to steal it or the possibility of any demons destroying it. Nero said he had called someone with weapons and a vehicle in on this anyway, so hopeful he’ll run into them with Nero at some point.

Sol had worried about how bad things must be if Nero called him after all this time. His worries had only grown when Nero told him Dante had failed to take down some big-name demon that was responsible for the ensuing chaos. To add to that Dante is missing in action. All of that had Sol worried, but seeing Red Grave for himself, his fears have been confirmed.

Sol knows he’s not cut out for the kind of legendary jobs Dante and Nero have taken on, he’s good at what he does sure, but he doesn’t have any extra power backing him up in a fight the way he’s seen Nero have or heard that Dante has.

So he’s wary, but whatever’s happening in Red Grave needs all hands-on deck. That much is clear. So he’ll do what he can to help while trying not to get himself killed. He runs his finger along the scar on his neck absentmindedly. He forces himself to remember exactly how he got it and promises himself he won’t repeat the experience here.

He takes one last moment to just take in the city before starting out. Whatever happens in the days to come, Sol doubts he’ll ever forget them.

He’s been walking for close to an hour when he gets his first signs of demons. He hears them before he sees them. They sound animalistic, almost…bug-like. Sol has killed a few demons who looked distressingly like bugs before, and he can honestly say he’s not looking forward to coming face to face with them again. They’re gross. Bugs are fine when they’re small, but ones as tall as a person? No thanks.

He rounds the bend to find three Empusa demons feasting on something. Great, bugs it is then. Before any of them notice him, he takes out his crossbow and shoots one through the head. The other two rear up and scream as they turn towards him.

All three demons start running at him, the third moving notably slower than the other two. He takes another shot, hitting another between the eyes before putting his crossbow away and taking out his twin swords.

He runs at the closest and thrusts his swords out to slice through its chest.

-

As he’s wiping the blood off his blades and watching the demons disintegrate at his feet he hears someone clapping.

Sol turns to see a man standing off to the side watching him.

“Enjoy the show?” He asks as he scrutinises the man. He’s thin and covered in tattoos, he’s also wearing all black. Which combined with his dark hair makes him look like someone who you would find in a Hot Topic. Sol also notices the cane he’s carrying in his hands is a blade.

“I was curious to see one of the people Nero had enlisted in action. You do not disappoint.” The mysterious man’s words click in Sol’s mind and he relaxes. Mr. Hot Topic is working with Nero.

An introduction is in order then.

“Sol, you can call me Sol.”

“Then you can call me V.” V tells him with a slight smirk and nod.

Just V? That’s an odd name, but Sol doesn’t comment. Perhaps V is lying about his name just as Sol himself is, perhaps V’s parents were just strange people. He’s certainly strange from what Sol has seen of him so far.

“You’re meeting up with Nero too, I assume?” Sol inquires.

“I expect to find him sometime today.” V answers, or doesn’t, Sol isn’t sure if that can be considered an answer.

“Me too, we could travel together if you want. It’d make dealing with any demons we come across a little easier.” Sol doesn’t want to assume what V is or isn’t capable of, but the guy looks human, so he’s might be as fragile as Sol himself is. Even if he isn’t, Sol doesn’t know how dangerous this job is yet and would feel better with backup.

“Let us go then, there is much ground to be covered and it is best we find him before the daylight leaves us.” V immediately starts walking away when he finishes speaking and Sol makes to follow him as quickly as he can.

He has to jog to catch up to V but slows when he reaches him so the two can fall in step.

They don’t speak for the first half hour, but Sol doesn’t feel particularly awkward about the silence. Though he does consider asking V something about himself just to start a conversation.

Just as he decides to do that they both hear a sound and stop. Sol recognises the same sounds from earlier and realises it must be more Empusa.

“Hope you’re ready for a fight.” He says to V as he reaches for his crossbow.

They walk a few steps further and several demons jump out from an alley. Just as he’s about to pull his crossbow off his back and shoot one of them, something races past him. His eyes register that it’s a black panther just as spikes materialise from its back and attack one of the demons.

This gets his brain back online and he pulls out his crossbow to take a shot at the leg of an advancing demon. The bolt distracts the demon long enough for him to pull out his swords and cut its head off.

As the demon disintegrates at his feet he notices something flying above the battle. He zeroes in on the unknown element that has joined the fight expecting it to be a demon of some kind. Instead it appears to be a bird, a bird which is firing bolts of lightning at the demons. Okay.

He shelves that for later and focuses of the nearest demon, realising the two strange shadowy animals have already pretty much finished off the rest.

Once the demon is down he turns around just in time to see V appear out of thin air in front of the last demon and plunge his cane into its chest. Sol watches the demon explode in a show of dust and…magic.

With the fight over Sol turns his attention to the panther and the bird, uneasiness fills him at facing an unknown threat but before he can make any kind of move or process why they were fighting alongside him and V the panther disappears.

Sol is just close enough to notice V’s skin darken, some of his tattoos…reappeared? When did they disappear? The bird flies lower and V puts his arm out for it to land on.

An idea occurs to him that could answer all of the questions surfacing in his mind.

“Are you a summoner?” Sol doesn’t really care if it’s rude to ask it so bluntly, because if he’s right then V didn’t think to warn him before they entered combat. Which is stupid, really.

“He’s a smart one V, better keep him around.” The bird talking is confirmation enough for him.

Sol tries to take that in stride. This isn’t a big deal is it? V’s fighting style is different to a devil hunter, but it works fine. His familiars took out the demons with astonishing efficiency, and they seem to be completely under his control. Okay. Sol can handle that. That’s fine.

“Thanks for warning me beforehand.” He says dryly as he eyes the bird. The bird cackles.

V doesn’t reply, content to stare at him with an unreadable expression. Suddenly feeling that awkwardness he expected to appear earlier, he turns away from V and the demon bird. He walks deliberately past them without looking, calling behind him.

“We should keep moving, we’re wasting time.”

The silence falls between them again, a little stilted this time. Sol is almost glad that the bird interrupts it periodically to add some sarcastic quip.

V eventually takes out a book with his own name embroidered on the front and starts reading it quietly. The short distance between them and the utter lack of sound coming from anywhere means that Sol can hear him.

“I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears, night and morning with my tears; and I sunned it with smiles, and with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night, till it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole, when the night had veiled the pole; in the morning glad I see, my foe outstretched beneath the tree2.” V recites.

Sol doesn’t recognise the writer, but he knows poetry when he hears it. He adds that to the mental list of strange shit he knows about V. The list is already starting to get quite long, and he’s only known the guy for a little over two hours.

Before V can start reciting what Sol is sure will be another riveting poem, he interrupts him and asks a question.

“What are your familiars names?” It’s an innocent enough question he hopes. He doesn’t want to pry at things V would rather not talk about. Which seems to be everything. But asking their names should be safe enough.

V closes his book with a snap and places it in his jacket. Which is a very poor excuse for a jacket, by the way. The thing doesn’t even have arms.

“This is Griffon,” Griffon puffs his feathers at the mention of his name, “And the one you saw earlier is Shadow. You have yet to see my third familiar, Nightmare.” V answers without any kind of impatience.

Sol is surprised at how relaxed V is in answering, he had begun to think he would have to avoid asking questions all together, the man seems to hate answering them.

“With a name like that, I can’t wait to meet them.” V chuckles lightly but the sound is lost in Griffon’s laugh. Which sounds more like a caw than a laugh, it’s painful on the ears.

“You enjoy poetry?” Another safe topic, Sol assumes.

Maybe he’s wrong, if the piercing look V gives him is anything to go by.

“You ask a lot of questions.” Ah, that sounds a bit like a warning. He should have stuck to just one question for the time being.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I admit I am curious about you, but you owe me nothing and I wouldn’t expect anything more.” He wants to look away from the other man. He rubs the back of his neck to ease the tension building in him at his apparent mistake.

The sharpness disappears from V’s gaze and he shakes himself a little, a strange smile appearing on his lips. Sol can’t decide what it means, but he doesn’t have to as V replies a moment later.

“No, I am sorry for assuming the worst of you so quickly. You can ask whatever you wish, if I do not wish to answer, I simply will not.” Sol hesitates, not quite believing him, but V looks relaxed and open.

“Then I extend the same offer to you.” V nods in acceptance or thanks, Sol doesn’t know which. V might not be curious about him at all, but it seemed right to offer the same in return.

Silence falls between them again as Sol decides if there is something else he wishes to ask that is not overly personal.

“I confess that I am surprised with how well you are taking my familiars in stride, you figured it out very quickly and barely faltered afterwards. Have you had interactions with other summoners before?” V says out of the blue, startling him from his thoughts.

The question is a pleasant surprise, seeing as he wasn’t sure if his offer even meant anything to the man, and it’s an easy answer.

“I have,” He sighs remembering what happened to them, “I worked a job where a summoning went badly wrong. The summoner didn’t manage to bind the demon and things went south. I dealt with the demon, but the summoner didn’t survive.” It was unfortunate, but from what he knew not everyone was strong enough in will to handle a demon pact. Sol had done what he could to save them.

“I would think that may be more cause for alarm at finding out what I am, not less.” V replies.

“Well from what I’ve seen your demons listen to your every word and they haven’t attacked me, so I have no reason to assume you’re anything less than competent. Just because some people can’t handle it doesn’t mean no one can.” He’d heard of a few good summoners from others but never met any himself. He trusts V for now, but he won’t completely lower his guard with Griffon or Shadow yet.

-

Over the course of the next several hours they come across increasingly amounts of demons, Empusa and others. A part of him is horrified at how overrun the city is, and to get this way in just under a month? They see Nero in the distance fighting demons a few times before they finally catch up with him as he’s finishing off a huge demon.

V walks out into the courtyard towards the giant demon and interrupts their fight.

“I curse my stars in bitter grief and woe, that made my love so high and me, so low3.” Dramatic and irrelevant but okay. It caught Nero’s attention at least. And Griffon seems to be occupying the demon for the time being.

V launches Shadow at the demon who falls to the ground after Shadow turns into a spinning blade and cuts through its chest. V walks toward the demon, lifting his cane.

“Little wanderer,” He steps up and raises his cane to level with its head, “hie thee home5.”

Sol watches him kill the demon with a precise stab to the forehead, it really is a huge demon.

Sol walks over to Nero and V as they banter with each other and some strange growth above them turns to dust.

“Nero what on earth have you gotten me into? This place is insane.” Sol asks his old mentor and friend.

Nero shrugs in reply, unfazed by the countless demons that have overrun the city, apparently.

“We needed all the help we could get if this demon could defeat Dante. Speaking of, do you think Dante’s still in there.” He directs the second part to V as he gestures to the giant demonic tree in the center of town.

“If Urizen defeated him, then I expect he’s not much more than Qliphoth pollen by now.” V says offhandedly, as if he’s talking about the weather.

“A what...?” Nero asks him.

“Qliphoth. It’s a tree that grows in the underworld. It thrives on human blood, and those whose blood it sucks, well...” V points to some husks of what Sol knows must have been people at some point. Though they hardly look like it now.

“...Let’s just say they don’t turn out too well.” That’s an understatement if he’s ever heard one.

“Well in any case, we need to find out. If Dante’s alive we’ll save him. If not, we don’t.” Nero says walking past V. Simple plan, not so simple execution.

V puts the handle of his cane on Nero’s shoulder to stop him from walking away.

“Wait. First we need to exterminate some Qliphoth roots.” V tells him.

“Why?” Sol asks.

V explains the importance of the roots to the tree as Sol and Nero listen, he’s most of the way through his explanation when they’re interrupted by a van skidding to a halt behind them.

“I know, I know I’m late. Shut it. The roads were all clogged.” A woman with a semi-thick accent says from the driver's seat to Nero. Her eyes shift to V.

“Hey you must be V, huh?” She looks at Sol, “And you’re Sol, right?”

“Nice to meet you, Nero wasn’t kind enough to tell me your name.” Sol says teasingly looking at Nero.

“Hey-” The woman interrupts Nero before he can make some kind of excuse.

“Yeah he’s pretty thoughtless, my name’s Nico.” He gives her a smile, for the slight at Nero. Who is now sulking like a child.

“Hey mind grabbing that for me? By your feet. Ding, ding, ding.” Nico points at something on the ground in front of them.

Sol picks it up and hands it to her. Which he immediately regrets, because she sniffs it as soon as he does. And makes some noise of…excitement?

“I’m gonna make something amazing outta this!” She says as he discreetly steps away from the van.

“Did you just sniff that?” Nero asks her incredulously, “Do you have any idea where that’s been?”

“Up your butt?” She says in a childish voice.

Nero makes a face.

“Focus on the mission.” He heads to the door on the side of the van and enters. Sol and V follow.

Inside the van the three sit and plan their next move.

“I think we should split into groups.” V suggests.

“…We’ll cover more ground that way.” Sol nods in agreement of V’s suggestion.

“Good idea. Take Sol with you, I’ll go on my own.” Sol bristles at Nero’s implication.

“I can handle myself Nero.” He reminds the retreating back of the devil hunter.

Nero turns and looks at them both.

“You’re better off with backup,” He directs at Sol, “I don’t know about you V, but it never hurts to have someone by your side.” He knows Nero’s not wrong and he can’t think up and argument against the guy’s words.

“Fine,” He pauses and looks at V realising he has a say in this too, “If you’re alright with that.”

“I have no problem with company.” Sol relaxes back into his seat.

“Where should we start then?” He asks.

“I think north is a wise direction to take.” The guy certain has a memorable way of talking, but nothing about his voice is irritating. In fact, Sol could probably listen to V talk for hours, the guy has a nice voice…

He notices Nero bickering with Nico in the background about…a mechanical arm? Right, Nero lost his arm. Sol has been so busy with everything else he’s hardly had a chance to notice. Nero has yet to explain, but now that they’re talking again Sol knows he’ll find the time to ask.

Nico is now admiring the mechanical arm she’s holding. It certainly looks sleek and stylish, but he has no basis for knowing if her claims about it being art are actually true.

Griffon antagonises her and rightly gets put in his place.

“My grandmother was called the .45 Calibre Virtuoso…legendary gunsmith. I hope to be like her someday, an artist and a lethal artisan.” She tells them.

“Everything I create is art, whether it’s a gun. Or a steel pot…to cook birds in.” Sol can’t help but smirk at the threat, after listening to Griffon talk his ear off he appreciates the verbal takedown.

She sits down on the couch beside them and lights a cigarette. Not cool. Sol is definitely going to leave the van, in approximately 5 seconds.

“Let us go then. If we don’t see you along the way, we’ll see you at the bottom of the Qliphoth.” V stands to leave. Sol follows quickly, glad to be leaving the cigarette smoke behind.

“Bye Nero. Don’t get yourself killed or we’ll never hear the end of it from Kyrie.” Sol says as he leaves. Maybe it’s too familiar for how long it’s been since they talked, but he hasn’t made a lot of friends since then. And if he’s honest with himself, it might be nice to have his old ones back.

He hears Nero’s long-suffering sigh as he closes the van door and follows V away.

-

It’s late afternoon and they’ll need to find a place to bunker down soon, but they have at least a few more hours of light to kill demons by. So, may as well try to destroy a few roots before the day is done.

They walk in silence again for a while, which he’s finally getting used to. V isn’t a very talkative person, Griffon talks more often than V does. That doesn’t bother Sol, he doesn’t mind silence. Though he notes that he’ll have to initiate a lot of the conversation if he wants it to happen. Or if he just wants to stop listening to Griffon.

“So V, you really think this kid can kill Urizen?” Sol is somewhat surprised that V and Griffon are having this conversation in front of him. It feels oddly private somehow. But they seem unworried about his presence.

“One can only hope.” It’s a short answer, maybe they are holding something back in front of him then. Though, V doesn’t exactly answer questions straight, so it’s hard to say.

The entrance to the tunnel they’re walking through collapses behind them. Odd, considering this tunnel was noticeably undamaged. Probably a trap then. Oh, he can’t wait to fight _more_ demons.

“But for now, we have a more…pressing engagement.” V talks like no person Sol has ever met or likely will meet, but it kinda works for the guy. And Sol hates that he’s starting to like it a little bit.

They ready themselves for a fight. He takes out his crossbow and checks the shotgun strapped to his hip. V summons Shadow, who stalks ahead of them.

Ten Empusa step out of the shadows into the street at the end of the tunnel as they walk into the open space. Shadow growls.

“Oh, genius says ‘be careful’. Yeah, no shit, Shirley! Ain’t that right, V?” Griffon circles above them squawking his usual rubbish.

“I mean you _are_ fragile at the moment. Wouldn’t take much to wipe you out in a sticky situation. I’m just saying running away is okay. It’s always okay to run away, if you’re not up for it!” Griffon is implying...what exactly? Now’s not really the time to dwell so Sol files the bird’s words away for further examination later.

V takes out his book, and Sol knows what he’s going to do before he does it, and he kind of hates it. But he also kind of appreciates the flair.

“He who desires but act not, breeds pestilence1,” He snaps the book closed, “So it is written.”

Sol is trying to focus on the advancing demons instead of V’s weird dramatic taunting but is mostly failing. Because it’s hard not to enjoy something like that when someone fully commits to it. Griffon lands on V’s arm.

“Okay Shakespeare. Just remember this: You and I like to exist. So get rid of those demons quick, cause killing ‘em ain’t my shtick!” Griffon takes flight again.

“I got your back, cause dying is whack!” With that line thrown out there the battle ensues.

They fight their way through the Empusa and some fire spitting bats. Sol admits he’s starting to get pretty tired for the constant fighting, but he has at least a few more fights in him today. They come upon even more Empusa a few minutes later and as he readies himself to fight V raises his hand in the air and snaps his fingers. His hair turns white and a shower of black dust floats upwards into the air.

Sol sees a portal open in the sky and a mass of black fall out. Nightmare kind of looks like a bunch of stones slashed together but also like a black writhing mess at the same time. Lovely. Sol tries to ignore the monstrosity that V has summoned to the battlefield and focus on killing the demon bugs.

The fight ends fast enough, and they find a center point of all of the local Qliphoth roots. Sol cuts it apart and the roots dry up and turn to dust.

This, regrettably, causes the bridge to start to buckle beneath them. Sol is already pushing his body to move away from the center of the bridge. V is following a moment later. _Too late_ , he realises as he starts to feel the bridge giving underneath him. As he pushes himself as far as he can he spares a moment to hope that Griffon caught V.

He manages to grab the edge of the bridge as the ground falls out from under him. He grunts as he pulls himself up onto the remainder of the bridge. He hears a weight land beside him and looks up to see V.

Sol stands up slowly, now fully aware of his aches. Especially his arms.

“Glad to see you made it, I guess Griffon is good for something other than mouthing off.” He says teasingly.

“Oi, who’s been saving your ass in every fight? Me!” Griffon shouts.

He chooses to ignore the angry pigeon and instead make his weariness known.

“It’s getting dark, we should find somewhere to bunker down for the night.”

“I agree. We need rest, we’ll find a suitable place to stay for tonight.” Sol is relieved at his easy acquiescence, after that near miss he doesn’t have another fight in him.

They find a house to hide out in that is relatively clean. It doesn’t have any edible food anywhere, but it has clean beds and is structurally stable. It’ll do.

Sol unzips the small pack he brought with him and gets some food out. It’s not a lot and he’ll have to restock with Nico, assuming she brought food, but it’s enough for a few meals.

He’d hoped to find some survivors and thought to give them some much needed food, but it’s obvious to him now that he’s not going to find any of the residents still alive. So he gets up from the bed he claimed and goes to find V.

Who is sitting on the king-sized bed reading his book, Sol still hasn’t asked about the book, he hasn’t figure out how to do so in a polite way.

V looks up from his reading and their eyes meet. It’s weirdly intense and neither of them speak for a long second.

He breaks the eye contact and silence at the same time.

“I have some food with me and I thought you could use some. Here.” He holds it out for V who slowly takes it. He stares at it.

“Thank you.” V says nothing else and Sol decides to leave.

He goes to sleep soon after that, needing the rest to recuperate. They have at least another few days of fighting ahead of them and he needs to keep his strength and concentration up.

V wakes him gently just after dawn and they leave the house after eating a small breakfast consisting of protein bars.

They find a working payphone pretty soon after starting out and V decides to touch base with Nico and possibly even Nero.

He doesn’t complain, the chance to get some water and find out what Nico has in terms of supplies sounds good to him.

What neither of them expect, is for Nico to drive her van off a broken highway down _at_ them. V springs into action, using his surprising agility and Shadow to bring the van to a stop without it killing anyone. Sol decides not to hold this event against Nico because he’s trying to be nice and make friends.

“Hey Nico, how’s things? Is Nero around?” He asks as he steps into the van.

“Nah he got an early start, it’s just little old me.”

He takes a seat on the couch and lays his crossbow down next to him.

“Mind if I take a look at that? I could build you something for it.” Nico points at the crossbow.

“Sure, anything that makes killing demons easier is good in my book,” Sol passes the weapon to Nico, “What do you want in return?”

Nico walks over to her work station and starts studying the bow.

“If the demons you come across drop anything like that thing yesterday bring it back to me.” She says without looking up. He nods, he can keep his eye out for other demon remains.

“Oh, and cash.” She stays meeting his eyes, telling him how serious she is with a look.

He’s not rich by any means, but his business has been doing alright these past months. He can probably afford at least one upgrade.

“What are your prices? I’m not exactly stacked with cash.” He doesn’t want her to build him something he can’t pay for. And they can’t afford to waste time like that any way.

“Don’t worry Nero’s paying me extra to keep your upgrades cheap, he said you’d need them.” Sol feels touched, knowing that Nero did that for him. He knows the guy isn’t the charitable type which means…

Nero still thinks of them as friends. He’ll endeavour to live up to that then. He owes the guy enough already, he should start doing something in return.

He moves on to asking about what kind of supplies Nico has in the van, finding out she does indeed have a large stock of food and water. He immediately takes a bottle of water and drinks the whole thing. And he tells her he’ll give her a call when they’re out of food.

He thinks about what he has with him and realises they’ll probably run out tomorrow night and makes a mental note to meet up with her tomorrow and pick something up before then.

Nico finishes inspecting his crossbow and promises to have an upgrade ready by the next time they see her. With the first hour of the day already gone, they finally set out.

For the first few hours they run into only small groups of demons. Eventually they find a demon guarding a cluster of Qliphoth roots. V deftly avoids an attack from a vine. A vine that looks like a snake. Sol loves demons, they always have such interesting forms.

“You dodged me!” The demon says incredulously. Said demon also happens to be very ugly. It kind of looks like a peeled orange. The vine snakes must be part of it.

“Did you dodge _me_?!” It says, still struggling to process this fact.

“Nidhogg. I never like this guy.” Griffon lands on V’s arm.

“You pest. Do I know you?” Nidhogg asks.

“Dumb as a box of rocks. Let’s not even mess with him, V.” Griffon continues as if Nidhogg had never spoken. V smiles and Sol can’t help smiling too, Griffon _can_ be funny on occasion.

“He can’t leave the Qliphoth anyway. Just a Qliphoth parasite.” That’s a good enough reason to avoid him for Sol. He readies himself to leave.

“Did you insult me?” Nidhogg asks furiously.

Oh no. _Griffon what have you fucking done_. He silently curses the bird.

“Uh, oh.” Griffon says.

“You insulted me!” Nidhogg shouts. Okay, Nidhogg wins, he talks more weirdly than V. He’s the only sentient being on the planet who does.

“I think he heard me…and he’s angry!” Griffon says just as one of the vines shoots out and attempts to snap its mouth shut around him. Sol sees him disappear just before the mouth closes.

“I’m going to kill you!” Nidhogg screams in anger.

V turns around from where he’d jumped out of the way of the incoming vine. His confident swagger tells Sol everything he needs to know about what’s about to happen. That and it’s practically routine at this point.

“Not in this lifetime.” Poetry aside, some of the things V says are distractingly…

Nevermind.

“As the air to a bird, or the sea to a fish, so is contempt, to the contemptable1.” Not to worry, the poetry is back.

Nidhogg attacks them and they’re forced to fight him in self-defence. Curse that bloody bird. The battle is a dicey one as Nidhogg has multiple giant vine snakes that lash out at them attempting to bite them and crush them. Griffon is constantly lifting V out of danger, which Sol is appreciative of, but Griffon’s absence in the fight is noticeable.

Sol starts aiming his crossbow at Nidhogg directly in an attempt to draw his attention away from V to give Griffon a chance to re-enter the fight. This, as it turns out, is a bad idea.

Sol is now dodging two vines that are as thick as half his height, but his plan seems to have worked. He keeps shooting his crossbow when there’s an opening to keep the heat on him and not the demonic familiars. He has a thought, as the mouth of one of the vines misses him by inches, that maybe the demons can’t die, and that it _might_ have been wise to allow them to take some of the heat.

He doesn’t have to worry for long because Shadow launches an attack directly at Nidhogg and he turns a pale color, which is V’s queue to teleport in and stab the demon.

As he leaps back down to the ground and away from the limp form of Nidhogg the demon and his vines disintegrate. As he does the cluster of roots also turns to dust.

The dust settles and a giant demon turns towards them in the distance. Sol swallows, _that_ is exactly the kind of demon he’s not prepared for. It’s at least two stories tall and covered in some kind of thick armour-like plating.

He darts a look at V, who looks similarly overwhelmed by the size of their foe.

“Okay, um, all right that’s not good at all. That’s not good.” He agrees with the pigeon.

“I am not equipped to handle _that_.” He hopes he stresses the magnitude of how out of his league this kind of fight is.

V, thank god, starts walking away. Without turning his back on that thing Sol follows.

“Wait, where-where are you going?” Griffon notices them retreating, “Are you running away?” He asks them disbelievingly. Wasn’t he saying to do that yesterday?

“That’s not a good sign.” Griffon says, as if he hasn’t noticed how big that demon is. Sol thinks it’s rather hard to _miss_.

V stops and turns around.

“I’m afraid that...that’s a little bit more than I can take on right now.” V talking like a regular person? He immediately decides he doesn’t like it; V’s odd speech pattern is part of his charm and he should stick with it.

Wait, did he just imply that V has charm?

He doesn’t even have a second to consider the ridiculousness of the thought as the huge ass demon shoots a ball of electricity at them. Sol doesn’t even have time to warn the others, who all have their backs to it. _Smart_.

It misses thankfully, hitting the ground a little to his left. The shockwave does nearly send him off his feet though. He starts to run just as the others realise they’re being attacked and do the same.

This time he doesn’t see it, but he hears it approach and closes his eyes at the last second, sure it’s going to hit him. It misses him by a fraction and hits the ground by his feet, this time almost sending him falling to the ground as his entire world shakes.

He tries not to falter as his feet land back on the ground and he keeps running. Another blast lands just behind them and the ground shakes and gives way beneath them. Sol falls facing up towards the sky. He tries not to tense up for impact.

He doesn’t feel anything break as he lands, and none of the falling debris hits him. His back is going to bruise something awful though.

He takes a second to breathe and stares up at the demon’s underbelly as it walks over the hole they’re in. Right, the others. Time to check on V.

“Everyone still alive?” He tries to sound light-hearted but fear that they may not be grips his heart too tightly. He hears V make a quite grunt and feels relief flood through him.

“Ha, we survived! It’s our lucky day! Let’s go find a game of cards.” Griffon is well then.

“These Qliphoth roots...they’re everywhere.” V says. Sol looks over at him, finally pulling himself up into a sitting position. Oh yeah, his back definitely took the brunt of the fall.

V looks unharmed and so he turns his eyes to where the summoner is looking. The roots are woven through the ceiling of the tunnel, spanning as far as he can see in both directions.

“Well, we are underground.” Griffon’s tone is dripping with sarcasm.

“Then I guess we have some clearing up to do.” V says with a smirk. Something twists in Sol’s stomach at the sight. He obstinately ignores the little voice in his head telling him he knows what that feeling is.

“And me without my gardening shears.” Griffon replies.

V chuckles. Which Sol both appreciates and doesn’t. Because it’s a sound he’d like to hear a lot more times.

He doesn’t try to engage the others in conversation as they walk, instead taking the time to consider what’s happening to him.

Okay, so he’s maybe slightly attracted to V, that’s okay isn’t it? The guy has a nice voice and an odd charm, that’s nothing to panic about. He can deal with this, it doesn’t change anything.

“What’s going on in that head of yours toots, this is the first time you’ve shut up since we met you.” Sol doesn’t hold his new nickname in high regard or take kindly to the insult.

He looks at Griffon with a blank but dangerous smile, ignoring V’s eyes on him.

“It would be wise not to forget that I hunt demons for a living, Griffon.” Griffon cackles at the threat and flies ahead of them.

Sol notices V still watching him, a small smile having appeared. He raises an eyebrow at V, hoping to convey the question ‘what’s so amusing?’. Hoping is the key word there, because Sol has no idea how to actually do that.

V turns away from him and says nothing. Sol resigns himself to not knowing and they continue on in silence for a few minutes.

“What made you choose this life?” V asks, out of the blue.

Sol consciously stops himself from frowning at the question. V isn’t trying to be cruel by asking, but it is a heavy subject. And one he’s not ready to talk about with V, he hardly knows the guy after all. He settles for a half truth.

“There aren’t many people doing this, and I want to help others. This is a way I can do that.” It’s not a lie, but it’s barely a fraction of the truth.

V seems to sense this, based on the look he gives Sol, but he doesn’t push it further. They’ve only known each other for a day.

Hoping it will stop an awkward silence from forming, he decides to ask a question back.

“Why poetry? Why that poet?” He hopes V doesn’t think he’s scorning him, he truly is curious. The man has such a strong interest in poetry. It must hold deep meaning for him.

“Poetry means a great many things to me,” V starts slowly, “In battle it is a way to meditate and focus my strength, better allowing me to fight. Outside of battle it is a simple pleasure and a way to remind myself of important lessons learned. Poetry breathes life into the world, a few words picked with care and special attention payed to them creates an exquisite result. Like a spoken song.”

His words are artistic, which coming from V is hardly a surprise. And it’s beautiful. Sol understands what V sees when he reads poetry, he understands the experience V has with it.

“Would you read me a poem?” He’s been spending his time ignoring it, but he’d like to see it the way V does.

V’s eyes flick to him, full of surprise, searching him for something. Sol waits for an answer and gives no explanation.

V reaches into his coat and takes out his book. He opens it and flips through the pages, coming to a very deliberate stop.

“The sun descending in the west, the evening star does shine; the birds are silent in their nest, and I must seek for mine. The moon, like a flower, in heaven's high bower, with silent delight sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy groves, where flocks have took delight. Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves the feet of angels bright; unseen they pour blessing, and joy without ceasing, on each bud and blossom, and each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest, where birds are covered warm; they visit caves of every beast, to keep them all from harm. If they see any weeping that should have been sleeping, they pour sleep on their head, and sit down by their bed.

When wolves and tigers howl for prey, they pitying stand and weep; seeking to drive their thirst away, and keep them from the sheep. But if they rush dreadful, the angels, most heedful, receive each mild spirit, new worlds to inherit.

And there the lion's ruddy eyes shall flow with tears of gold, and pitying the tender cries, and walking round the fold, saying, 'Wrath, by His meekness, And, by His health, sickness Is driven away

From our immortal day. '

'And now beside thee, bleating lamb, I can lie down and sleep; Or think on Him who bore thy name, Graze after thee and weep. For, washed in life's river, My bright mane for ever shall shine like the gold as I guard o'er the fold4.” It’s a long poem and they walk some distance as V speaks but Sol doesn’t mind.

The sound of V’s voice as he reads the words is almost musical in rhythm. And it lulls him into such a peaceful state he doesn’t even realise V has stopped speaking until a minute has already passed in silence.

“That was beautiful.” He tells V honestly.

“I am glad to meet someone else who can appreciate the beauty in poetry.” V says with an honesty that feels raw. How often has V been scoffed at for his love of poetry? Sol wonders sadly.

Any further conversation on the matter is interrupted by the appearance of demons. They fight their way through the small group of Empusa quickly.

Sol slides down the grimy tunnel wall onto the even more grimy floor and takes a second to breathe. He opens his pack and takes out something to eat and the rest of his water. V comes over and joins him for a short break, they eat in silence. Then it's back to navigating their way through the tunnel and finding an exit, and the convergence of these roots.

They find several clusters over the next hour which they destroy, and just as he’s at the end of his line with this dark and disgusting tunnel it opens up into a warehouse. Which is full of demons, great.

They fight more Empusa, including a much larger one that he thinks might be a Queen. Navigating the warehouse proves trickier than expected for a number of reasons. The first being that crates are strewn across the floor, blocking the way and they have to climb over them. The second being that the giant demon from earlier is poking its legs through the ceiling and attacking them.

At one point the some of the roof gives way above them. Sol looks up to see Nero standing above them outside and…the body of the giant demon.

“What are you doing down there?” He calls down to them.

“Ha, you didn’t think you did that all by yourself did you?” Sol thinks Griffon might be overstating it but doesn’t bother to interject.

“Ya know, I bet you taste like chicken.” He’s glad Nero is giving as good as they’re all getting.

“Oh, you ungrateful son of a-” V puts his cane out in front of Griffon, silently telling him to stand down.

“We’ll leave this beast to you,” V says and turns around walking away, “We must press on.”

Sol gives Nero a wave before turning to go as well.

They find a way out soon after that, and its back into a tunnel, wonderful. This one is no less grimy than the last, possibly more so. They find what feels like dozens more demons, including a few larger ones that require V to call Nightmare out to help them in the fight.

Sol is completely drained by the time they finally find an opening back to the surface. The tunnel leads out onto a street and he scans the buildings around them looking for a decent place to sleep for the night.

“We need to find a place to rest, the sun is going down.” He agrees with V and points out a promising looking apartment that’s above a storefront.

The apartment is empty, so they decide to use it for the night. The place is decent, even with the lack of power and water. Its only drawback is the single bed.

“I’ll take the couch.” He volunteers. It should be comfortable enough to sit on, though he doubts he will sleep well on it.

“We both require proper rest, neither of us can be fatigued in any of the fights tomorrow. It could cost us our lives. We are also both bruised from the fall and need to heal. We have no choice but to share.” Ah. V isn’t technically wrong, his logic is sound, and the bed _is_ large…but Sol still wants to disagree.

V flashes him a look that kills the words building in his throat. Nevermind then, the two of them can share.

They both get into the bed without a word. There is a small space between them, just enough that they’re not touching. Sol has to break the silence, it feels like an oppressive weight on the room.

“V,” He looks over at the other man waiting for him to look back at him, “Why are you so dead set on going after Urizen? Why is this so important to you?”

Maybe the question is a little personal or maybe everything feels that way this close.

“He needs to be stopped before he can gain too much power to be stopped. He will take over the world in time, in his pursuit of power.” It’s a reasonable answer, V’s voice sounds honest, but Sol knows it isn’t the whole truth.

He _should_ leave it alone.

He doesn’t.

“You’re not being honest with me.” He says wearily.

“And you’ve been truthful?” V counters, eyes narrowed.

He swallows at V’s words. That’s not a can of worms he wants to open with someone he hardly knows. That’s what he’s been telling himself.

But, looking at V now, he feels like he is stripped of all pretences. A moment of indecision seems to last forever until he decides to take a leap.

Sol swallows back the pain and remembers the past he tries so hard to bury.

“I had a life outside of all of this once, a normal life. My parents died in a demon attack when I was sixteen. I escaped with my life, but after that everything that my life had been was gone and I was lost.” Sol studies V’s face as he pauses for breath, he’s silently watching and listening to with a complex expression on his face.

“Dante stopped the demons and saved the city and word spread, when it reached me...I decided that was what I wanted to do. Help others, stop that from happening to other people. It took me a few months to track down Nero through his fiancé Kyrie. He taught me how to fight and once I’d learned everything I could from him I left. I went on the road, finding demons where I could. That was years ago, now. When Nero called me and told me about what was happening in Red Grave and asked for my help, I couldn’t say no. Because I owed him, and because I couldn’t walk away from something like that.”

“So there, now you know.” He says into the uncomfortable silence that has fallen as he stopped speaking.

V says nothing for long enough that he begins to regret speaking. He’s contemplating getting up and going to the couch when V’s hand grips his own.

Sol’s eyes dart to his left hand which is encircled in V’s. He can’t seem to find his voice to ask what V is doing.

“This must have been hard for you, I appreciate the honesty.” His voice is full of sincerity and his face is open and understanding.

Sol feels that same twisting sensation from earlier only tenfold. They’re close, the space between them is small enough that Sol can feel the warm emanating from the other man. Sol tries to remain calm, but his heart is beating as fast a drum and his breathing is short.

Sol slowly and shakily reaches for a strand of hair that has fallen across V’s face. He tucks it behind the man’s ear. He lets his hand drop as he notices V’s expression.

He looks as vulnerable as Sol feels. And his breathing is a little short. So Sol might not be the only one affected by their proximity.

Things end there, neither of them speak again and after some time their hands slip from each other’s grip. Sol falls asleep to the quiet sounds of V’s breathing.

They say nothing of the night before when they wake in the morning. They get ready in silence, but it doesn’t feel awkward. Sol feels like there’s an ease between them now, a familiarity that he rarely feels with someone he’s known for such a short time.

There’s a working payphone on the street underneath the apartment and V calls Nico from it. Sol is dazed when the van bursts through a wall. She doesn’t nearly kill them this time at least.

They open the side door and step inside. Sol immediately notices the woman sleeping on the couch, and she appears to be in nothing but a blanket. He turns his eyes away from her and walks over to Nico’s workshop in the back.

“I got a surprise for ya, I think you’re gonna like it.” She says as she pulls out something. It’s a bundle of slender pieces of mental attached to each other, he’s not sure what it does but if he had to guess…

“It’ll decrease the reload time on your crossbow and add a bit more force to your shots.” It is. It’s an upgrade for his bow. A pretty useful one too.

“How much?” He asks, hands hovering over it reverently.

“First one’s on the house, but I have some others I made which you’re welcome to check out too. Those ones ain’t for free.” He wants to ask if she’s sure, she spent time making this and deserves the money, but he knows he won’t get anywhere so he bites back the argument.

He takes a look at the other two upgrades she’s made. One allows for his crossbow to fire explosive bolts and the other allows it to fire several at once. He doesn’t know how either of those are possible, but he doesn’t question it.

He buys the explosive bolts, which he can just barely afford. He won’t be getting the other one then, but he doubts the two are compatible anyway.

V is finished doing whatever it is he does when they visit Nico so he’s already heading out the door. Sol stops at the fridge to grab some food to restock his pack and two bottles of water.

He doesn’t ask about the sleeping woman, there will be time for that later.

“Hey V.” He calls once they’ve stepped outside. V turns to him and he tosses one of the water bottles.

“Thought you could use this. I haven’t seen you drink anything since we met.” Which is kind of ridiculous, the guy must be dehydrated by now.

V looks at the bottle in his hands for a long moment and then glances up at Sol with a considering look.

“Thank you.” V almost sounds like he hadn’t realised that he might need to drink water. Focused on the mission, much?

Good thing he’s here to remind the guy to eat and drink, because he’s not sure V would if he weren’t. Which in this line of work can lead to collapsing in battle, a deadly mistake.

As they walk he remembers the fight with Nidhogg the day before and a question occurs to him.

“Can Shadow, Griffon and Nightmare die?” He knows the basics of summoning and demon pacts but not the details. And he remembers hearing something about pacts that implied they couldn’t.

“If they sustain enough damage their forms will be destroyed, if that happens it will take them some time to reform.” So no then. Good to know for future reference. Sol doesn’t want to be unnecessarily worried about them in a fight, and now he knows he doesn’t need to be.

-

They’ve been walking for close to an hour with no demons sighted, which has Sol feeling on edge. He’s waiting for a fight to happen.

They walk under an archway and see two figures speaking on the other side of a clearing. V and Sol flatten themselves against the wall of the arch, and Sol puts a hand over Griffon’s mouth to prevent the bird from giving away their position.

The strangers are talking loudly, and they can hear most of what they’re saying from where they are hiding.

V is peaking around to get a look at them, Sol thinks he hears him whisper ‘Malphas’.

“Search for the devil sword Sparda. You know where it is...” A sibilant voice says, “He told me to leave it be, but I’m afraid it still concerns me. As long as there is a blood descendant of Sparda I cannot take any chances.”

There is a short silence where the other figure says nothing.

“Do you understand? Find it and destroy it!” The voice shouts.

Sol risks a peak past V and sees a horribly ugly demon opening a portal.

“Only then will his reign be truly realised.” The demon says as it leaves through the portal.

Once it is gone V steps out from the arch into the clearing, as the remaining demon turns around. Sol walks up beside him.

The demon is humanoid, with large horns framing its face. It’s riding a steed. The steed rears at them.

“I see. I know what you are.” Sol would be very appreciative if V decided to share with the class.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.” V says, slapping the head of his cane against his hand.

And now Sol is completely distracted and trying not to act like it. What the hell kind of line is that? Sol wishes V had just recited more poetry in instead.

He doesn’t have to wait long to get his wish, almost as soon as the battle has begun Sol and V are dodging out of the way of a charge from the knight.

“One thought, fills immensity…1” V says once he’s clear.

“This is not the time for poetry. Wait, what does that even mean?” Griffon, always talking his mouth off in a fight.

“Where there’s a will, there’s way. Now let’s go.” Does V have doubts about them being able to do this? Fuck that, Sol knows they’re gonna kill this bastard.

He starts to doubt that a little when the horse, if it can be called that, summons bubbles of slowed time around the clearing. Okay, that’s how it’s going to be is it?

Sol runs to the side and loads an explosive bolt into his crossbow, while the knight is distracted he fires it at the horse. As soon as it launches he switches to his shotgun.

As the bolt hits and explodes he runs in, the horse is rearing, and the knight is distracted. He takes the chance to slide underneath them and fire his shotgun straight up into the thing’s belly.

This causes further distraction for the mount as it falters from the hit, but the knight has regained his senses enough to swing his weapon at Sol as he gets to his feet on the other side of them.

Sol hears the sizzling sound of electricity in his ear and dives into a roll, winching as the tip of the knight’s weapon grazes his arm and slices it open.

Shadow carries him further away from the demon duo as soon as he comes out of the roll, getting him a safe distance back.

He mostly sticks back after that not wanting to risk a more grievous injury. The knight continues to charge at Sol and V periodically but they both remain alert and ready to dodge out of the way each time.

Just as the knight is gearing up to charge again, Sol sees Griffon disappear and a floating orb appear in the middle of the clearing. He immediately realises that V won’t be able to dodge the attack on his own.

He is close enough to V, so he runs, at the same moment the knight charges. He sees the electrified rod bearing towards V as he tries to get out of the way without the help of his familiar. Sol thrusts his sword out and diverts the weapon away from V.

V escaped the hit meant for him, good. The knight is now looking at Sol, not so good.

He keeps his swords up as he backs away. He narrowly defects an attack, realising he’s not strong enough to go toe to toe with the enemy. Just as he thinks he’s done for Shadow appears and sends spikes up into both horse and rider from the right.

The knight and steed cry out and falter, giving Sol enough time to retreat. Just as he does, several arcs of lightning hit their enemy, and he sees Griffon re-enter the fight. He relaxes a little, they are back to being able to hold their own, for now.

The fight ends with Shadow turning into a spinning blade and slicing into the horse, turning it an ashy color. V rushes in and kills it a second later.

“The hours of folly are measured by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure1. Die.”

The rider is thrown across the clearing. It gets to its feet, turns and... runs.

Sol can honestly say he wasn’t expecting that in the slightest. V makes to give chase but falls onto one knee.

“V!” Sol shares Griffon’s worry.

“I’m fine,” He’s clearly not, “I must chase him.” Also not going to happen. The way starts to collapse in front of V, large pieces of rock falling to block the path.

“If the devil sword Sparda still exists, it may very well be our only hope.” V sounds out of breath and pained, regardless of how important this sword is Sol’s not letting V chase after it without a rest first.

“V, uhh, think about this for a minute now. What will you do if you find it? You gotta be strong in mind and body to wield the Sparda, and you, sir, are neither. Hate to break it to you, but the Sparda will just be too much for ya.” Griffon circles V as he speaks.

“For me, yes. But what of the boy…Nero?” Sol doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and he will get some answers, mind you, but right now they’re taking a break.

“Before you go running off to find this sword, we need a break.” He tells V vehemently.

“Kid’s right.” Can’t say he likes being called kid, but he’ll take it if it means Griffon agreeing with him.

Sol spots something on the ground and picks it up, it looks like it came off of the knight’s mount. New plan in mind, he heads back the way they came, hoping Nico is still where they saw her last.

They find Nero as well as Nico in the van, and the mysterious woman is awake.

“You can’t travel through here in a car.” V tells the occupants of the van as he enters.

“Yeah, we know. We’re just waiting on you two.” Nero replies.

He stands up from his place opposite the woman.

“There’s only one way up that tree. Hang on, I’ll get ready.” Nero heads to the back of the van.

Sol walks over to Nico to give her whatever it is that they found and hears a short conversation between V and the woman he doesn’t know.

“I’m glad to see you look so well.” V knows her? Maybe he knows everyone is Nero’s crew. That’s assuming she’s part of the crew.

“You too, I guess…” She replies.

Sol tunes them out and focuses on Nico.

“We found this, hope it’s useful.” He hands it to her.

“Wow! I can make something truly awesome out of this.” She heads to the back of the van and he follows her, hoping to grab a few more explosive bolts before they leave.

As he’s grabbing them he overhears the still unnamed woman say something quietly to Nero.

“Shocker…Can we trust him?” Who is she talking about? Him? V?

“Your guess is as good as mine. He might be useful though.” He’s pretty sure they’re talking about V then, Nero knows he can trust Sol.

He had assumed they knew V in some capacity, but it sounds like he’s a stranger to them. Interesting.

He finishes up with Nico and walks towards Nero and the other woman.

“Get some rest, Lady. You need it.” Nero says before stepping out of the van.

Sol wants to say something to Lady on the way out but can’t decide what to say, so he leaves without saying anything.

Within minutes of walking they find a part of the road that has collapsed into some underground tunnels. Walking at the head of the group, V leads them into the tunnel.

“Great, more tunnels. Just what I was hoping for.” He says sardonically.

Nero gives him a look.

“We spent all of yesterday underground in dank tunnels,” He explains, “And I am so looking forward to repeating the experience again so soon.”

Griffon flies back to them from the front of the group.

“Better get used to it toots!” He still hates that nickname, and if Griffon wasn’t V’s familiar he would throttle the bird.

Actually, thinking about it, he’s glad Griffon, Shadow and Nightmare are bound to V because they’d be a pain in the ass to kill.

He doesn’t get so spend long moping as a group of demons appear and they’re soon in a fight.

Progress through the tunnel is slow, as there seems to be no end to the demons. Sol is glad the three of them are together. He and V could take these demons out alone, but he’d be feeling a lot more tired than he is right now if Nero wasn’t here doing some of the work.

They also come up against some flying demons with giant pairs of scissors. Nero must have killed some already because he attacks them without hesitation and little forethought. It only takes Sol a few seconds to understand Nero’s strategy and apply it himself. The fight is over almost as soon as it’s begun, killing really is a breeze when they’re all working together.

A little further along they find an entrance to the service part of a subway station. They predictable find some demons as they make their way through, including a strange growth that seems to spawn demons. Sol learns to focus fire on that when they find them to avoid the group being overrun by demons.

Sol does his best not to get too distracted in battle, but he can’t help taking a moment every now and then to study Nero’s new fighting style. The way he fights has changed a lot. Likely due to the loss of his arm and the subsequent prosthetics. It’s mesmerising to watch at times. Each of the arms Nico built do different things, and they’re all uniquely deadly. Guess she was right, they really are art.

Sol is somewhat surprised they don’t find any husks of people in the main section of the subway, once they reach it. But then maybe no one was using the station at the time of the attack. Though it is interesting no one took refuge here.

Even more surprising the power is still working here. He does find that one of the drinking fountains has a small amount of water in it, it doesn’t last long but it’s enough to fill his bottle up halfway. They avoid the areas where the electricals have come down through the ceiling and exposed wires now hang. No telling which of those might be live.

They make their way out onto the main platform of the station and are instantly swarmed with demons. V summons Nightmare as Nero revs his sword. Sol pulls out his explosive bolts and loads one into his crossbow. He fires at three Empusa and the fight begins. It’s chaos and they all take a few hits, Sol mostly in an attempt to shield V when his familiars are busy fighting and he’s reading. As the last demon dies Sol drags his eyes of his companions and is calmed to see that none of them sustained serious injury.

They find a cluster of Qliphoth roots and destroy it, opening up a new path in the process. Sol dearly hopes it will lead to the surface, he’s had enough of fighting demons in a hole underground.

They’re not out of it yet is seems, as they find another of those growths and a small number of demons. Once the fight is over Nero notices a phone nearby. Sol is about to question why he’s calling Nico when they know she can’t get the van in here, when he’s interrupted by one of the walls exploding inwards as the van comes crashing through it. Alright then. The laws of physics must not apply to Nico, because she and the van are undamaged when they skid to a stop.

“Please stop trying to kill us.” He says tiredly as he walks over to her.

“Good to see you too.” Is all she says in reply. Sol wants to either sigh loudly or scream, he’s not sure which.

Once they’re all inside the van Nero opens the fridge and grabs some food out. He turns to Sol and V.

“Why don’t you guys sit down.” Nero gestures at the small table attached to one of the walls. They take a seat. Nero puts something in the microwave and sets it going.

“I thought we could take a break for lunch.” He says.

Sol realises he’s actually pretty hungry. Hours of fighting will do that to you.

“If you’re cooking something sign me up, I haven’t eaten a hot meal in days.” He hadn’t. The last motel he stayed at was more than a day’s drive from Red Grave, and that was the last time he’d eaten a hot meal.

“Well, enjoy.” Nero says as he puts the food down on the table and takes a seat on the couch. The table only has enough room for two, and since V and Sol are sitting at it that leaves everyone else the couch.

Sol breathes in the smell wafting off the food and nearly groans in happiness. A few days without will really make you appreciate the small stuff.

They all eat in silence for the first few minutes, too hungry to think up conversation. Sol decides to take the chance to get to know the person he knows the least about in the group.

“So Lady, nice to meet you by the way, are you in Nero’s crew?” He asks her.

She’s wearing a white coat and shirt now, he doesn’t know where they came from but assumes there must be some spare clothing in the van.

She looks up as he addresses her, glancing at him. She looks at Nero for a second before looking back at him.

“No, I was working with Dante on his job. After we lost the demon trapped me. Nero was the one who found me.”

Oh, one of Dante’s associates? Interesting. He decides not to ask about Dante as she has no reason to trust him and would probably be put off by him asking.

“Huh. Well it’s good he found you. I’m Sol by the way, sorry for not introducing myself sooner.” He feels painfully awkward but does his best to get through it. Why can’t he have a conversation like a normal person? Oh right, he’s been practically avoiding other people at every turn for the last five years.

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too I guess.” He tries not to feel hurt by her closed off attitude, she might just be like that with people she doesn’t know. He decides not to try engaging her in further conversation though and turns his attention to Nero.

“You haven’t mentioned it once since we got here.”

“Mentioned what?” Nero asks, furrowing his brow.

“Your arm.” He says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, which it is.

Nero glances at the stump of his arm and Sol sees a muscle in his jaw tense.

“I lost it.” He says tightly, eyes flicking across the room.

“Yeah I can tell.” He says a little more softly than he intended.

Nero’s meets his gaze and relaxes a little.

“Someone stole it, they wanted a weapon I had absorbed into it.” He admits.

Someone stole his arm for a weapon it had? Sol can only imagine how much that must have hurt.

“That….that sucks.” He knows it’s inadequate, but he doesn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah.” Nero replies as he stands up from the couch and walks over to the small kitchen. He washes his plate.

“How’s Kyrie?” He settles on what he hopes is a lighter subject.

Sol sees Nero’s expression ease and morph into something soft and the thought of the woman he loves.

“Happy, as far as I know.” Sol laughs at the tone Nero takes. He makes the second part sound almost like a question.

Silence falls over the group and Sol realises how good it feels to talk to people again. He’s been so cut off for so long he’d forgotten what it felt like to be without that constant ache of loneliness.

He makes the decision to stay in touch with Nero from now on. When all of this is done he won’t disappear, maybe he’ll even come visit Nero and Kyrie’s home.

He’s lucky to have friends, and he won’t waste that anymore.

Soon after that they set out again, and his mood drops somewhat at being back in the dirty and stale underground. But even their surroundings can’t completely erase the contentment he feels after that meal and promise to himself.

“You and Nero are close.” He almost jumps a foot in the air when V speaks. He hadn’t heard the man walking beside him and didn’t realise he was there.

You should never startle someone who kills things for a living, that’s an easy way to get yourself killed. Thankfully Sol’s brain registered who that voice belonged to before he could pull a weapon on V.

He takes a second to breathe and slow his racing heartbeat. Once he’s calmed down he finally processes the question.

“We were years ago. Back when I trained with him. But,” He glances at Nero who is some distance ahead of them and being bothered by Griffon, “I was so scared of being hurt the way I had been when I lost my parents that I left without saying a word. We hadn’t spoken since, until he called me with this job.”

“Interesting.” V replies.

“Why?” He asks dryly.

“You do not act like two people who have not spoken in years. There is an ease between you both that is reminiscent of close friends.” V makes an interesting point, they do act like nothing has changed, don’t they?

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it.” He confesses.

Sol is distracted from saying anything else when he sees the staircase ahead leads outside. He quickens his pace a little, eager to get out into the open air again.

As they reach the top he stares at the rubble and roots around them. This one of the worst parts of town he’s seen so far. It’s moments like this that make him understand why no one who stayed in Red Grave survived this long.

With a clear path down and forward they start moving toward what appears to be a theatre. The front half of the building is missing but the stage remains mostly intact.

As they step down onto the theatre floor Sol notices several blue fires lit around the area. That mixed with the feeling he’s getting leads him to catch Nero’s and V’s attention. He gives them a pointed look and glances at the blue fire. It might be nothing, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.

It’s not nothing. As they reach it a demon jumps down onto the stage, followed by several more.

“Nice, getting the band back together huh?” Nero says to the demons.

Sol notices V pinching the bridge of his nose out the corner of his eye.

“What evil lurks…I must destroy.” Sol openly glances at V when he hears the man’s tone. V sounds angry, very angry.

Sol doesn’t have long to think on why, because the ground starts to shift underneath them and…

The theatre just detached and is now sliding down the hill. Sol does his best not to be pessimistic about his near future. He fails.

Nero runs at the largest demon with his sword out, reminding Sol to focus on the battle at hand and worry about dying later.

He pulls out the crossbow and fires multiple explosive shots one after the other. He tries to avoid direct confrontation where possible as he doubts he’ll be any stronger against these demons than he was against the knight.

Nero’s managed to finish off three of the demons when Sol notices their approaching doom.

“Hey guys we better finish these two off quick, we’re about to fall off the plateau.” He shouts as he runs at the closer of the two. No time for caution now, he’ll be dead in a minute anyway.

He slices into its back and Shadow sends spikes through it at the same moment. Griffon hits it with a bolt of electricity as soon as Sol has pulled his blades free.

The demon screams and turns white, queuing him to drive his blades through it one last time.

He looks over to see Nero’s adversary is dead as well. He glances at the plateau. The edge is fast approaching.

“We gotta jump!” He shouts as he runs to the back of the theatre. He only lets himself stare at the ground rushing past them at an alarming speed for a second before he jumps. He twists into a roll as he lands and comes to a stop a little further down from where he jumped. He hears Nero groan from somewhere close by. That’s one person who made it then. He sees V a moment later as he pulls himself up.

He dusts himself off and internally congratulates them for not dying. It’s the small things.

The all get to their feet and look around.

“I’ve just remembered something…This town was attacked once before.” V sounds thoughtful.

The guy has been odd today, more odd than usual. The demons earlier seemed to make him inexplicably angry and now this. What’s up with him?

“I was here…I can still see it.” V continues.

He walks over to a broken toy and kneels down next to it.

“In fact, I was playing right here.” He runs his hand across the toy.

He adjusts his grip on his cane and points to a spot in the distance.

“That was the house.” It doesn’t look like it’s held up much, but not much of the city remains after the last month of destruction.

“This is where we part ways, you go ahead.” V addresses Nero.

Nero glances at Sol who says nothing.

“You two are gonna miss all the fun.” He jokes.

“No, I must seek out the devil sword Sparda.”

“What?” Nero asks at the mention of V’s plan. Sol has been meaning to ask some questions about that.

“Yeah I don’t think that’s such a good idea, trust me.” Nero tells V.

“You’re not the only one who thinks so.” V replies, patting Nero on the shoulder as he passes.

“But to win this fight we’re going to need all the help we can get.” V says as he walks away.

“See you round Nero, don’t get yourself killed before we see each other again.” Sol says as he walks past Nero in the direction of V.

“Wait.” Nero says, grabbing his arm.

Sol turns around and stops, looking at Nero.

“Watch yourself around him, he’s not telling us everything.” Nero lowers his voice enough that V won’t hear him.

“I know that, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.” He replies.

He honestly doesn’t think V has any dark secrets, the guy just seems to keep a lot to himself.

Nero doesn’t look convinced and the serious expression remains.

“But I’ll keep my guard up, if it makes you feel better.” He says rolling his eyes and pulling himself free of Nero’s grip.

Before he gets too far away to be heard he shouts back, “Don’t forget to eat and sleep at some point Nero!”

-

The sun is already getting low and that fight took most of Sol’s energy. He hopes Nero isn’t stupid enough to go fight a big ass demon without any sleep or food.

He catches up to V who’s walking down a broken path into what remains of a suburb. Sol guesses this must be the same suburb as that house is in. He thinks about what V said earlier, was the guy implying that was his house? He doesn’t want to ask, it would be rude to ask something so personal. Though V did mention it himself.

They find a house that’s structurally stable and doesn’t have any holes in the roof. Again, there’s no water or power but it’ll do for the night. Sol’s thoughts turn back to Nero. He assumes that Nero sleeps in the van. That must be pretty cramped with the addition of Lady.

Sol eats something from his pack, missing the warm meal from earlier that day. He takes some to V as well, who thanks him again.

Sol has a million questions about everything he’s learned today but holds them back for fear of offending V. He gets the feeling the guy wouldn’t answer most of them, anyway.

He goes to bed thinking about the house V showed them.

They rise early the next day, the sun hasn’t even fully risen when they set out. Sol takes a moment to mourn the lack of running water as he’s starting to get quite dirty. The van might have a shower, he’ll check when he gets the chance.

They walk through the broken and uneven streets in silence. Without the presence of any demons around them every sound they make seems to echo. Griffon scouts ahead, searching for the sword. Sol finally works up the courage to ask about it.

“What _is_ the devil sword Sparda?”

“It is a powerful blade imbued with the soul of the demon king Sparda.” V answers.

Huh. Sounds pretty powerful.

“And you think Nero can use it to kill Urizen?” He confirms what V has said before.

“I believe so.” Good, that’s good. A plan is a good thing.

Sol wants to ask more questions but none of them are directly related to the mission and he can’t find a reason to ask. He wants to know why V seems to tire after their battles. He wants to ask about the house. But he does neither.

Griffon flies back to them and they stop to hear what he’s found.

“Did you find it?” V asks. Sol doesn’t appreciate the oddly sultry tone V often uses. He wishes Nero was here, things had been easier to ignore when he was with them.

“Uh, well I don’t know what I found, but…I think I saw some demons dancing?” Griffon says.

Demons dancing? Griffon must be making that up.

“Well, then I guess we keep going.” V replies.

V _doesn’t_ think Griffon is joking?

Well, seeing demons dancing would certainly be memorable. Sol can’t say he hopes to see any more demons, but if they find any and they’re not dancing he’s going to be very disappointed.

The first demons they find are not in fact dancing. But they do have large sharp cleavers and scythes that could cut Sol or V in half. Fun.

Sol reflects on the fact that the fights have been getting steadily harder and harder since they started out a few days ago. At least he’s had time to practice and prepare.

As they continue on the ground becomes more and more distorted, if Sol didn’t know this use to be part of a city he would never guess it was. There are broken stone arches and they find some untouched gravestones, marking what must have been the graveyard once. Half of it is probably above them just over the cliff that is jutting out to their right. Sol isn’t sure if that part of the ground has risen or if this part has sunk, but either way they are now at least 20 feet apart in height.

“You’re awfully quiet V. Thinking about mommy dearest?” Griffon quips out of the blue.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But the past is…a bitter place for me.” V answers.

Sol wants to ask more than ever, but he keeps his mouth shut. It’s a sore subject for V, so he won’t make him revisit it. Even if he’s burning with curiosity.

They find an opening into an old church and descend further into the ravine that the Qliphoth’s roots have created.

Turns out it’s not a church, it’s a tomb. And there are demons in it. Sol is so glad there are demons in it.

At least they haven’t come across any particularly strong demons in a while, oh _nevermind_ there’s a giant demonic rhinoceros. It’s covered in chains, which coincidentally work as armour, this just gets better and better.

V summons Nightmare almost as soon as their new opponent appears. With the help of V’s third summon they make short enough work of the rhino.

Before long they’re back out in the open. Sol looks up at the sky between the two cliff faces above them. It really does feel like they’re standing at the bottom of a ravine now.

There’s a phone that looks like it’s still working so they decide to call Nico.

As soon as V hangs up Griffon swoops past him and grabs his cane, cackling as he flies out of V’s reach.

Griffon flies down in front of V, taunting him as he laughs. V tries to snatch it from Griffon but the bird darts out of reach. Griffon glides away over to the other side of the clearing.

Just as the bird turns back towards them the van bursts through the wall behind him. He squawks and tries to outfly the speeding vehicle.

Nico rolls the van and it flips several times before coming to a stop by a wall. Sol can see that she’s alive and unharmed in the driver’s seat, but he doesn’t believe it.

He hears a clang and sees V picking up his cane. Sol hadn’t noticed where Griffon went in the chaos, too focused on watching Nico’s insane driving.

“If you keep doing that I’m going to start taking it personally you know, I happen to really like being alive.” Sol says as he enters the van.

“You’re overreacting! It was fine.” Nico replies from the front seat.

“It wasn’t. You’re going to get us both killed.” Lady says from the couch. Sol hadn’t noticed the couch has a seatbelt. He isn’t surprised to see her wearing it though.

“Nice to see you again Lady, glad Nico hasn’t managed to get you killed yet.” He greets her.

She unbuckles the belt and relaxes onto the couch.

“Yeah, _yet_. It’s only a matter of time.” He gives a small laugh at that.

He walks to the fridge and grabs another water bottle, noticing that there aren’t a lot left. Hopefully they’re done with the job soon or they’re going to have a problem.

He goes to check out Nico’s workshop even though he doubts he can afford another upgrade if she has one for him.

As it turns out she’s figured out how to put more firepower into his shotgun, and he can afford her price. So he buys that and a few more bolts for his crossbow. Now that he has these bolts that explode on impact he never wants to fight without them. He’ll have to talk to her about making some kind of long-term contract for them in the future, they’d certainly make his job easier.

Before long they’re saying goodbye to Nico and Lady and heading back out. V mentions sensing the sword nearby, which means they’re getting close.

They walk through a side arch and Sol _sees them_. Griffon really wasn’t lying, there are some weird ass demons dancing in a circle. He can’t really describe them, they have limbs and a face…or is that a mask? They look nothing like people though.

Sol sees a glint of light and looks up to see a sword sticking out of the wall several feet above them.

“Whoa, this is some kinda ritual shindig, isn’t it?” Griffon guesses, “You guys got the dance fever for Sparda, don’t you?”

One of the demons screams at him.

“Easy on the dance floor there, partner.” He chastises.

“I’ll be taking that back.” V interrupts, pointing his cane at the sword.

He steps forward with a small swagger. Sol really tries not to like it, he really tries.

“You know your endless worshipping isn’t making the Sparda any happier.” V says.

The guy is a sword, Sol doubts much makes him happy.

One of the demons screams and lunges at Griffon and the fight is on.

It turns out they’re not the strongest and the fight is over pretty quickly. As Sol dispatches the last demon V walks over to a bunch of Qliphoth roots and plunges his cane into the center.

As the roots dry up and crumble some of the debris hits the wall and dislodges the sword. Sol walks over just as V starts to bend down, he notices how raspy V’s breathing is. Is he okay?

V tries to lift the sword and manages to get if completely off the ground for a moment before his strength fails and it falls.

“It seems this sword is still too strong for me...” He says as he catches his breath.

“So close though, so close.” Griffon makes his presence known.

“You got a lot of heart kid, you really do, but you’re a bit lacking in the strength department.” Griffon remains as rude as ever.

“Hey, hey, no offense, uh, ya know.” He says in such a way that he sounds like a child telling a parent that they’ve done something wrong. V ignores him entirely.

“Nero…he has the strength.”

Shadow growls at that point and they all glance over at the panther. V drags the sword over and they all look down the ledge Shadow is by.

“Dante…” V exhales. Still out of breath.

Sol ignores V’s state for a moment to focus on the small form at the bottom of the hole.

Sol has heard a lot about Dante and isn’t surprised he survived the fight with Urizen, even if he did lose.

Dante was the one who saved Fortuna years ago when the demons attacked. The Order of the Sword had tried to control the city through demonic power and after it got out that they were the ones who caused the swarms of demons no one felt particularly kindly about them. He heard about Dante in hushed whispers and rumors.

Trying to track Dante down is what lead him to Nero in the first place. Dante’s the reason he even knows how to fight and why became a devil hunter.

The thought that he’s going to meet the legend he’s heard so much about sends a spike of anxiety through him, but he brushes it off, from what Nero’s told him the guy is pretty chill and has a sense of humor.

V starts to walk away leaning heavily on his cane, heading for a path that looks like it leads down. Sol watches the way he walks and worries, what’s up with him? He’s always been tired after fights but this seems different.

Once again, he doubts V would tell him if he asked. So he decides to ask something else.

“How are we going to wake him up? He’s been asleep for a month.” Sol says.

“I have an idea.” V replies.

Sol raises his eyebrows and gestures with his arms for V to share it.

“I will make him believe he is under threat. That should awaken his instincts, causing him to wake up.” V explains.

Sounds like a good plan to Sol. He doesn’t ask any further questions.

They reach Dante and Sol pulls him off the statue he’s resting on, laying him on the ground. The guy is incredibly dirty, his hair is caked in blood and so are his clothes. But it’s clear he’s alive, his chest is rising and falling as he breathes.

“I don’t even have the words. I-He’s alive, he’s alive!” Griffon says disbelievingly.

“The devil sword Sparda was concealing Dante’s presence.” V realises.

“How does one frigging guy have so much luck, huh?” Griffon wonders.

V drops his cane and Sol glances at him.

“Uhh, V?” Griffon wasn’t present for their short conversation earlier and thus doesn’t know what V’s plan is.

V starts to drag the Sparda towards Dante.

“No, no, no. Get a grip on yourself now, c’mon.” Griffon says earnestly.

“If only you could defeat Urizen, if only. No.” V is doing a very convincing job and it’s starting to worry Sol slightly.

“V, no, no, no.” Griffon warns.

“If only you never existed…then I..!” V shouts as he raises the sword into the air.

“Don’t do it V! No, no, NO!” Griffon yells as he moves back.

Sol twitches, half sure he has to stop him, half sure V is just playing the part. But before he can decide V slams the blade down beside Dante’s head.

Dante’s eyes open as the sword misses him by inches. V smirks, and Sol is just glad V’s a better actor than he pegged him for because he was worried he was going to watch him murder the man for a second there.

Dante groans and sits up at the same moment V gracefully falls to the ground. Sol is definitely going to ask him about why he’s fatigued, soon.

“For a second there I thought you were gonna shish kabob me.” Dante jokes.

“I know how stubborn you can be. I thought it might be the only way to wake you.” V says reasonably.

“What day is it?” Dante asks.

“June 15th.” Sol answers.

Dante looks over at him.

“A month?” He confirms with V, who nods in reply.

“No wonder I’m so stiff.” Dante says as he stretches his back.

“So who’re you, a friend of V’s?” Dante questions him.

“I’m Sol, Nero called me in on this when he planned to come back and fight Urizen again.”

Dante’s expression shifts and he turns around to V.

“Hey, this is my gig. Leave Nero out of this.” He tells V.

Little late for that in Sol’s opinion, the city has gone to shit and Dante’s been missing for a month.

Sol watches V struggle to pull himself to his feet. Worry twists in his gut.

“If you could defeat Urizen then I never would have dreamed of using that child.” V pauses for breath several times as he speaks.

V walks over to his cane and bends down to retrieve it.

“But Urizen is much stronger than we ever could have imagined.” V continues.

V seems to almost hunch over as if he’s trying to hide something. Sol wonders what.

“The city’s gone to shit in the last month, there’s hardly anything left of it at this point. There are demons on practically every street and in every sewer. The only survivors are the ones who got out quickly. Not to mention the damn tree. The Qliphoth roots are everywhere and the main structure is still growing in size.” Sol decides to inform Dante, since V doesn’t seem inclined too.

“Terrain has also become pretty messy in places, especially this close to the tree.” He adds as an afterthought.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Dante says as he walks towards the Sparda where it’s stuck in the ground.

He grabs the handle and pulls it free.

“Alright enough’s enough. Can’t let a boy do a man’s job.”

V turns around as Dante starts to walk away with the sword.

“Hey, wait. I’m not done talking yet-” V says as he tries to chase Dante.

V falls to his knees and the worry Sol has been feeling deepens, there’s something wrong with V and now he’s sure of it.

Dante turns around and looks down at V.

“Okay, you get some rest,” He glances at Sol, “And you keep an eye on him.”

Dante turns and continues to walk away, now unimpeded.

“By the way…I guess I owe you one.”

Sol’s too distracted to hear Dante’s words. He’s staring at V’s hand. He’d moved closer to check on him and now he’s close enough to see the skin flaking off of his hand like dust. What’s happening to V?

“V?” He asks quietly as he kneels down next to him.

V says nothing and doesn’t indicate that he notices him in anyway. He just stares at his own hand.

“V that looks bad. What’s happening?” He asks the other man, now very concerned about all the signs of exhaustion V has been showing the past few days.

Sol had thought the guy was just pushing himself hard, he hadn’t thought…. _he_ _hadn’t_ _thought._ Because he’s an idiot he had ignored it like it was nothing.

“I must keep going, I need to catch up to Dante.” V very slowly tries to lift himself up with his cane.

He fails but Sol catches him before he can hit his knees. Fine, if V won’t tell him he’ll just have to hope he can find some way to help.

“Alright, sling your arm over my shoulder. Let’s go.” He urges V.

V slowly does, and they start moving in the direction Dante walked.

After a few minutes V is able to walk on his own and they jog together, trying to catch Dante. He’s obviously killing demons and clearing the way for them but he’s somehow managing to stay ahead.

They finally catch him on the road and watch as he lays a woman down on the ground.

“Dante!” V calls in an attempt to get the guy to stop. Unlikely to happen, in Sol’s opinion.

Dante gets on a bike, and where that came from Sol doesn’t know.

“Take care of Trish for me.” He calls back as he revs the bike and leaves.

“Dante wait-” V collapses again.

Sol watches V send Griffon to follow him. They both slow to a stop as they reach the woman, Trish.

Trish is naked, which makes Sol turn his eyes away from her. He volunteers to find her a sheet while telling V to take a rest. And obviously guard her.

He does manage to find a relatively clean sheet. Someone’s clothesline happens to be intact with some bedding still on it. So he grabs the sheet and returns to V and Trish.

They sit in silence for a few minutes and V takes his book out. He flips the pages slowly enough that Sol knows he is looking for a certain poem. He comes to a stop and Sol listens carefully to him.

“O Winter! bar thine adamantine doors: the north is thine; there hast thou built thy dark deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs, nor bend thy pillars with thine iron car.' He hears me not, but o'er the yawning deep rides heavy; his storms are unchain'd, sheathed in ribbèd steel; I dare not lift mine eyes, for he hath rear'd his sceptre o'er the world.

Lo! now the direful monster, whose 1000 skin clings to his strong bones, strides o'er the groaning rocks: he withers all in silence, and in his hand unclothes the earth, and freezes up frail life.

He takes his seat upon the cliffs,--the mariner cries in vain. Poor little wretch, that deal'st with storms!--till heaven smiles, and the monster is driv'n yelling to his caves beneath mount Hecla6.” V says with the same musical flow to his words as the previous times Sol had heard him recite longer poems.

“Beautiful as ever.” V stares at him and he realises what he just said.

Did he really just say _that_?

Their attention is drawn by Trish stirring, which Sol is thankful for. Any reason to avoid talking about the words that just came out of his mouth is good for him.

“Dante’s left…” She instantly notices.

“Yes. And I don’t think he can win.” V replies.

Trish holds the sheet to cover herself as she looks at them both.

“What was that demon, V? Where did it come from?” She asks.

V doesn’t reply.

“Urizen is not a demon. I know that for a fact because I’m from the underworld,” A statement Sol is trying to absorb when she says, “My God, what are you then?”

What? What does that even mean? V’s a summoner. He…

Sol thinks hard about what he knows about V. It doesn’t completely add up. But Sol knows a demon when he sees one and V isn’t that. There is more to it than he’s been letting on, though.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m a shadow of my former self who lost everything.” V says.

“It matters to me,” Sol replies with a hard expression, “Tell me what you’re holding back.”

V’s eyes bore into his own, but Sol doesn’t back down. He has a thousand questions and he wants answers to them. He wants V to stop avoiding the truth.

“I will tell you the story of my birth.” He’s talking to Trish, but V doesn’t take his eyes off Sol.

“Suffering defeat after defeat the man’s body was reaching its limit. Breaking down. But he couldn’t die yet. The man had a job that must be done: to defeat his twin brother.” Sol tries to catch up as V launches into his story at what feels like the halfway point.

“In order to defeat his younger brother, he could only do one thing with the crumbling flesh and feelings. He needed to separate man from devil with the strength of the Yamato.” The words _crumbling flesh_ remind Sol of V’s hand.

“And eventually the man became a true devil. I’ve tried to hold together my crumbling flesh with what little demonic power I have left, but…I’m approaching my limit.” What does that mean? Is V…dying?

“In separating and regaining my human soul, I’ve realised the gravity of the crime I’ve committed. I’ve realised how important everything was. Everything I’ve thrown away in my pursuit of power.” Sol had a million more questions than he did before.

V mentioned separating man from devil, does that mean V is or was part demon? Isn’t Dante supposedly half demon? V said he was trying to defeat his twin brother, is V Dante’s twin, then?

“Is that why you went to find Dante?” Trish asks.

Sol listens carefully for a confirmation of his theory.

“Yes. Foolish,” Sol’s world tilts on its axis at the word _yes_ , “I thought maybe he could change my…maybe fix…maybe right my wrong.”

“Tell me,” V stands with the help of his cane, “Was this fool before you right?”

Trish sighs and stands.

“I’m not your mommy V. You’re a big boy,” She drops the sheet covering her and spins, “You need to see this through.” Clothing materialises on her in a flash of light.

She did say she’s from the demon world, so Sol shouldn’t be surprised. She walks away from them both.

Sol waits for V to look up at him.

“So you’re Dante’s brother. Is that why you call yourself V?” Sol doesn’t know where to even start, but one the first questions he had about him seems like a good place.

“I am, and I am also…more. Dante’s brother is named Vergil.” Sol furrows his brow. V dissociates himself from Vergil? That’s odd.

Right, his other question. The most pressing matter.

“How long do you have? You said you’re nearly at your limit.” Dread curls inside him unpleasantly. He hopes, he _hopes_ V isn’t going to die.

V studies his hand.

“At the rate we have been going I will likely only have several more hours or perhaps a day.” Sol’s stomach drops.

“Hours?” He asks weakly. V meets his eyes and Sol blinks a few times, trying to remove the blurriness from his vision. When it clears he sees resignation and determination on V’s face.

“We must hurry if I am to be present for his end.” V doesn’t bother calling him Urizen anymore, Sol notices.

V starts to slowly walk in the direction Trish headed, leaning heavily on his cane as he does.

“V-” Sol grabs his arm. V stops and looks back at him.

“We’ll find a way to save you.” He says determinedly. He means it, he’ll find a way, _somehow_.

V stares at him for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then he sighs and looks down.

“I wish it were that simple, but what ails me cannot be cured so easily. Thank you for wishing to help me, nonetheless.” V walks away, and Sol lets him pull free of his grip.

Sol stands there and processes what he’s just heard. He stares at V’s retreating back. Can he really not be saved? The thought causes something to pang painfully in his chest. He’s known V for several days only, but he….he-

He trusts him. Sol let him in…or wanted to. How long has it been since he’d done that? He doesn’t want to lose another person, not after being so afraid of it happening that he closed himself off. The first person he lets in, and he’s going to die in less than a day.

Sol closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and starts walking. He’ll take what time he has, and when heartbreak comes he will face it.

It only takes him a few strides to catch V, who’s walking fairly slowly. They walk in silence for a while, Sol keeping pace with V while Trish moves further ahead.

“Would you read me another poem?” He requests softly.

V glances at him and says nothing, but he does pull out his book and open it.

Sol has come to enjoy listening to V read from his book, even if he’d made fun of it at first. There is a beauty in it, just as V had said, and if feels somewhat intimate when V speaks the words.

“Once a dream did weave a shade o'er my angel-guarded bed, that an emmet lost its way where on grass methought I lay.

Troubled, wildered, and forlorn, dark, benighted, travel-worn, over many a tangle spray, all heart-broke, I heard her say:

'Oh my children! do they cry, do they hear their father sigh?  Now they look abroad to see, now return and weep for me.'

Pitying, I dropped a tear: but I saw a glow-worm near, who replied, 'What wailing wight calls the watchman of the night?

'I am set to light the ground, while the beetle goes his round: follow now the beetle's hum; little wanderer, hie thee home5!” Sol recognises the last part. V said that when they met up with Nero a few days ago.

“I remember you said that last part to the demon we found Nero fighting when we first met up with him.” He speaks his thoughts aloud.

“You have a sharp memory.” V observes.

Sol sees a devious smirk spread across V’s lips. The man’s eyes are full of mischief when they meet Sol’s.

“Was it beautiful?” He asks slyly.

Sol is reminded of what he said before Trish woke up. He’d forgotten about that. On purpose. The forgetting had definitely been quite deliberate.

But V hadn’t. And now the bastard is teasing him.

He clears his throat pointedly, and hopes he isn’t blushing. Because he _feels_ like he’s blushing.

“You’ve swayed me on the virtues of poetry, I’ll give you that.” He allows, trying to deflect the conversation.

V, thankfully, leaves it there.

They’re getting close to the bottom of the Qliphoth, the magnitude of its size is much more obvious up close.

Sol sees the tree start to…sprout? Flower? Its doing _something_. And that something is causing the earth to shake violently beneath their feet. He sees it start to crack in places around them and yells, telling them to run.

He hears as it begins to give way behind them and he pushes himself to keep running. V is half a step behind him.

They make it to a ledge of solid ground just in time as the ground underneath him gives way. He makes it on. But V-

He turns just in time to reach down and catch V’s outstretched arm as he falls. Sol groans at the strain. Where’s Griffon when you need him? Oh right, V sent him off to chase Dante.

Sol manages to pull V up onto the ledge with some difficulty.

“You can’t die yet, you’ve got hours to live still. Remember?” It sounds weak even to his own ears, but Sol is tired. And the thought of V dying seems to sap him of any humor.

-

They’re right beneath the Qliphoth now. It doesn’t take them long to find their way inside. They travel up the tree and Sol watches as V struggles more and more. He never seems to catch his breath and he leans heavily on his cane as he walks. Hours. He has hours. Every second feels like a death knell.

Halfway up the tree they find the van parked on a large platform. How in the hell Nico got the van in here, Sol will never know. She’s _human_ , that’s the part that makes no goddamn sense. If she were a demon he’d have no problem.

Dante is waiting by the van with Lady when they arrive. V finds a place to sit and Sol is glad he’s taking a short break, if nothing else.

“Hey, where’d that garbage god go? What is Urizen after?” Date asks V.

Sol would be somewhat bothered by Dante disturbing V while he rests, if he weren’t too busy trying to figure out why Dante called Vergil Urizen. Does he not know? Perhaps he just thinks they don’t know. That’s probably it.

Sol is standing somewhat back from the group but his stomach twists when he notices that V’s skin is starting to flake everywhere.

“He’s at the top of the Qliphoth.” V replies.

Dante glances up.

“It’s the other way around Dante. This is the lowest level of the Qliphoth’s upper echelon.” Trish tells him. So the top is at the bottom then, how unnecessarily confusing. Though, demons generally are, Sol admits to himself.

“Human blood is the source of demons power. The fruit born through the Qliphoth is even more dense than the blood that created it. Its power is unparalleled. Even the almighty Mundus used it to become king of the underworld. V told me everything.” She finishes, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, well that’s a lovely story and all, but as long as we know where to find him.” Is Dante brushing that off? He’s definitely walking away.

Until Nico interrupts him, at least.

“Whoa, you…are the infamous Dante.” She sounds like a fan meeting their favourite musician.

She clears her throat and straightens her back.

“I’m Nicoletta Goldstein. Sound familiar?” She shakes his hand enthusiastically, “My grandmother is Nell Goldstein. The gunsmith that made all your fancy weapons that you got…strapped…back there.” She trails off nervously.

Dante pulls out two handguns and Nico points excitedly.

“Yeah, there she is!”

“Mm, you don’t much look like her.” Dante replies.

“Yeah, I got my looks from my Daddy,” Sol notices Nero walking onto the platform in the middle of this conversation, “That’s about all I got from him.”

“But based on his research I-I-I managed to cobble this, um, it-it…Consider it a gift! In honor of us finally meeting.” She stutters as she hands him a hat.

He puts it on an a transparent red scarf appears around his neck.

And now Dante is dancing. Is, is this real? Sol feels like he’s having an existential crisis watching this. Apparently he’s the only one, because Nico claps when Dante strikes a pose.

“I’ll take that.” He says casually. Oh, are they back to reality now? Is everything real again?

“Dante!” Nero decides to join the conversation. Sol isn’t sure why, it’s much more fun being a spectator.

“I’m gonna go, too.” Oh right, there’s a big ass demon to fight, who’s actually Dante’s brother. Sol is still unclear on whether Dante knows that.

“Why don’t you sit this one out.” Dante suggests.

“Oh, let you call me dead weight again? No thanks.” Nero bites back.

Spectator sport indeed, this is better than television.

“I’ve got all the power I need, right here.” Nero shakes his arm, the mechanical one, not the normal one, that would be weird.

“You don’t understand, that’s not what I mean-” Dante starts to reply.

“Let him go Dante.” V’s voice cuts through the brewing argument.

“Time is a luxury that we can no longer afford. We must chase after him post-haste.” V reminds Sol, painfully, of the clock he is running on.

“What, does that mean you’re going too?” Dante questions V.

“I have a duty to see this through.” V echoes Trish’s words from earlier.

“Well that’s all you had to say, Mr. Poetry. I’m gonna go my way and you guys can go yours. Let’s just say that’s the best for the cause.” Dante salutes them and walks away.

Nero makes to follow. Sol notices Trish, Nico and Lady heading back into the van. He doesn’t follow, instead he looks at V.

V whose skin is flaking off as his body crumbles. V who has hours to live. Sol doesn’t doubt his strength, but he doubts anyone could reliably fight in that state. So he does the only thing he can think of, he volunteers to go with him.

“Hey V, wait up. I’m coming with you.”

V stops and looks over his shoulder.

“You should stay behind.” He says turning away and continuing towards the edge of the platform.

Sol runs to catch him and stop him from leaving. He steps past V, blocking the way and grabbing the man by his lapels.

 “Please just let me come with you.” Sol grips V’s jacket tightly.

“You can’t be a part of this fight, he’s much to strong for you.” V replies.

“I don’t care about that, I’ll stay out of the fight. Just let me stay with you until the end.” Sol stares at V, trying to swallow back the tears he can feel coming.

“You’re _dying_ , V. But you don’t have to die alone. Just let me stay with you, until the end.” He begs the other man. Sol feels utterly useless, he knows he can’t save V and he can’t help them defeat Vergil or Urizen or _whatever_. But he can make sure V doesn’t die alone, if nothing else.

V’s looking at him like he can’t believe he said that. Sol won’t let him doubt it for a second.

“You shouldn’t die alone. We’ve only known each other a few days, but I care about you and I would do whatever I could to save you if I knew how, so at least let me be there for you at the end.” Sol needs V to understand he means it.

Somehow, in this short time of knowing him, V has found his way into Sol’s heart. He’s kept himself closed to everyone for years but after all this time someone got through, in just a few days. And he wants longer, he desperately wants longer with V. He’ll take every second he can get, he’ll treasure every single one like it’s the last.

V is quiet. Sol sees his lower lip tremble just the slightest.

“I only wanted someone to care.” He whispers. Sol is shocked by the raw vulnerability in the man in front of him. V has been holding himself back since they met, but right now he is completely honest and open.

“I care.” He replies forcefully, trying to drive his point home. His grip falters as dangerous words come to his lips. Should he? He gathers his confidence, if V can be honest so can he.

“I care more than I probably should, even.” He says with a weak laugh and a self-deprecating smile.

V’s eyes widen as he comprehends the meaning of Sol’s words. V shakily lifts a hand to cup his cheek.

“You truly feel that, for me?” V asks, as if it isn’t obvious, as if it hasn’t been obvious since that night when V kissed his hand.

“Yeah, for a while now.” He answers, voice shaking as his confidence wavers.

He waits for a response, doing his best not to let his anxiety get the better of him.

V’s fingers curl along his cheekbone and under his jaw, the man steps into his space.

Sol’s breathing hitches.

“You seem nervous.” Fuck you and your self-satisfied tone V, fuck you very much. Sol thinks.

He’s distracted from his thoughts by the feeling of V’s lips on his own. He melts into the kiss and closes his eyes. He tries to make it last, savouring it, knowing it will be the only kiss they share. For just this moment he doesn’t care, he pretends they have all the time in the world.

The moment breaks as V pulls away. Reality comes crashing back in.

“You promise to stay out of the fight?” He asks again.

“I promise.” Sol answers.

“Then let’s go.” V uses his cane to walk to the edge of the platform slowly. Sol takes a look down and sees that the drop is short, he eases himself off the ledge and drops. He lands in a crouch and Griffon drops V beside him. V stumbles almost immediately and Sol puts his arm around him to help him stand.

 He carries V until they find their first and probably not their last batch of demons. Sol keeps one eye on V in the fight but quickly realises it’s hardly necessary. V might be losing mobility, but he’s still holding his own in battle.

The area of the Qliphoth they’re in is bone white in color and strange purple lights glow as they pass certain stones. He notices that the floor looks a little bit like a spine and ribcage. Sol instantly tries to forget this comparison because it’s doing nothing for his overall mood.

His thoughts turn to V and the clock they are running on. A thought hits him and he feels his chest constrict. Maybe it’s unwise to ask, but he does anyway.

“If none of this was happening, if you had time to decide, what would you be doing?” His words echo in the bizarrely shaped hallway.

“I do not know, I have not had the chance to think about what it is I would want to be doing.” Sol grieves for the chance V never got to find out.

He’s only existed for little over a month and he’s spent that time trying to fix his mistakes and survive. _I wish you could have the chance_ , Sol thinks as he blinks back tears.

They step onto smooth stone as they enter a more open part of the path. Sol’s eyes track the glowing purple stones around them and feels apprehension. Just as he’s about to tell V they should go back his vision darkens around the edge and his knees buckle underneath him. He distantly hears V shout in pain, and then the world disappears into darkness.

-

He wakes on the ground. He quickly gets up and looks around, it’s dark and all he can see is a few arches and a door. He runs over to the door and tries to open it. It’s sealed in some way. He turns around and looks at the three arches all lined up beside each other. One of them it is then.

He walks over to the left most one and slowly steps through. There’s a flash of light and he finds himself in a large room with the knight they fought a few days ago. The only obvious differences are the missing steed, which they killed, and the knight’s complete lack of color. The monochrome white demon begins to move very slowly as if its waking up. He prepares himself for the fight and realises he only has his swords. Brilliant.

The knight seems to be getting its bearings still so he takes the chance to strike at it while its not fully aware. He pierces it through the chest, which is a win. But it has now fully woken up, which is less of a win.

The fight is a dicey one. Sol has to push his body to the limit to avoid incoming swings from the demon’s sword. While also finding opportunities to strike with his own swords. It lasts longer than he would like, but he eventually manages to stagger the demon to its knees and takes the chance to cut its head off.

The demon fades away, and Sol is left in the empty room alone. Its so quiet his quick breaths from exertion echo around the place. Finding nothing else in the room, he heads back through the arch.

As he steps back out into the main space he sees that one of the bindings on the door is gone. So he has to fight whatever’s in these three rooms to escape? He can do that, after he takes another second to breathe.

Ready, he steps through the next arch. The room behind it is much larger than the other, ten times the size in fact. Because in the center of the room stands the giant demon that Nero killed, the one that him and V ran away from. _Fuck_.

On the bright side, his crossbow has reappeared and he’s fully stock with explosive bolts.

This fight is much worse than the last, the towering demon has skin thicker than armour and a small number of weak spots. The legs all have exposed spots he gets a few good hits on with his swords. This sends the thing crashing to the ground. He barely misses being squished like a bug.

He does see a bulbus growth on its back that is completely exposed to the air, so he quickly climbs the thing while its down and hacks at the growth. He takes the inhuman screams to mean he’s winning.

As the demon starts to recover and slowly raise itself up off the ground he jumps off it. He’d rather not be shaken off and take that fall.

He’s starting to tire of the fight when he finally downs it again and decides to use another tactic. He climbs onto its back and takes several steps back from its exposed growth. He pulls out his crossbow.

He fires four consecutive bolts at it and they explode one after the other. The thing screams shrilly, which hurts his ears terribly. He takes that to mean it’s his chance to land a final blow. He runs forward and plunges both his swords into the growth and the demon gives one final shake before decaying into nothing.

“Two down, one to go.” He says to himself as he walks back out of the arch.

After he takes a few minutes to rest and recuperate he walks over to the last arch. What will the last one be? He wonders as he steps through.

The light of the arch fades and his eyes register what’s in front of him.

No. _No._

Not-

He can’t fight _them_.

He stares at the white figure sluggishly moving in front of him. He’s frozen in place. Terror grips him.

He can’t, he can’t, _he can’t_ _die here_.

Sol stares at the demon that nearly killed him years ago and tries to get himself to move.

He was young and inexperienced then, cocky too. He can do this, it won’t get him this time. It won’t kill him.

He takes a deep and shaky breath as he pulls out his crossbow. He notes the feeling of his shotgun at his hip as he lines up the site of his weapon with the head of the tall and skeletally thin, four-armed demon in front of him.

He swallows and fires the shot. The demon shrieks, and he swears he feels it in his bones. He tries to shake off the sound that’s haunted his nightmares for years, he tries.

He focuses on the fight, pretends its any other demon. And it works, until the demon starts talking.

“You’ve come back for round two I see. It won’t be any different you know, you’re still just as weak as you were before.” Sol grits his teeth. Astaroth’s voice is still the same quiet menacing hiss he remembers.

Sol doesn’t reply. He keeps his mind on the fight.

It’s hard to dodge attacks from the demon, as Astaroth has four arms which all end in wickedly sharp blades. Last time they fought, one of the tips of those blades sliced his neck open and he nearly bled to death from it.

As they dance around each other evading swipes and projectiles, Sol comes to the realisation that Astaroth’s fight pattern hasn’t changed. Sol is quickly tiring but he takes the time to watch the demon cycle through his moves one more time.

Sol is panting hard, chest rising and falling, he can’t fight for much longer now. But he’s figured out his enemy’s moves, so he goes in. He dodges every attack with time to spare, already knowing when it’s coming, and attacks with his own swords when there’s a gap.

He sees it as he’s pulling his blades free of the demon’s chest, the same move that hit last time. He knows it’s already too late to dodge even if it doesn’t look like it, so as his swords come free he doesn’t try dodge it. Instead he quickly stabs them up into the head above him.

Astaroth cries out in pain, spasming. After a moment the demon goes limp and scatters into dust.

Sol lets out a shaky breath as he stares at the remains of the demon. He did it. _He did it._

The door! He turns and runs through the arch. He can see from here that all three bindings are gone. He sighs in relief and takes a moment to catch his breath. He takes his time walking over to the door. He gently pushes it open and is blinded by white light as he steps through.

He blinks open his eyes to see V hovering over him with a concerned expression. V relaxes when he sees him awake.

“When I woke you were still unconscious, it had me worried.” V admits as he moves back to let Sol sit up.

“Sorry, fighting three huge demons one after the other really took it out of me,” He notices he doesn’t feel fatigued anymore as he says that, “Though I don’t feel like it anymore.”

Maybe that was just some kind of hallucination then? Who knows, demon shit is weird. And he’s not interested in asking whoever set that up questions.

“We must continue forward.” V says struggling to get to his feet.

Sol quickly stands and goes to help him.

“Yeah, let’s go.” He says.

He feels a lot better when they get out of the area and away from the strange purple stones.

“We should avoid Malphas if possible, I likely cannot fight her in my condition.” V says as they walk.

“Malphas, is that three bodied demon that was riding a chicken?” Sol asks. He remembers V muttering that name when they saw that demon speaking to the knight.

Griffon guffaws and even V cracks a smile at his word choice.

“Yes, she was the one who trapped us in that dimension.” That actually makes sense, Sol thinks he saw some of the purple stones on top of the chicken.

As they walk further and further down Sol spots more of those purple stones ahead. His grip on V tightens slightly.

They slow as they reach the crystals and hears Malphas speaking. Sol lets go of V and they both crouch down as they walk into a closed roofed area. There’s a ledge just in front of them and Sol creeps up to it to look down at Malphas below them.

“If he reaches the fruit it will all be over. Even Mundus failed to reign over the human world. Surely we know he will not.” Is the demon talking to herself? Sol doesn’t know.

“We need to avoid her.” He whispers to the others.

V dislodges some small stones as they crawl away from the edge. The stones tumble down to the platform below. Both of them press themselves against the wall in hope that the demon won’t see them.

“Ah, an intruder, perhaps? I’m coming…” Malphas says like a predator stalking its prey.

They can’t hide for long. He runs through their options. Running away is out of the question at this point, and there’s no other path through. Fighting doesn’t look good for either of them, but he doesn’t see a third option.

He hears a gunshot ring out and risks a glance over the edge. Malphas has turned away from them and is looking at Nero. Oh thank god, they’re going to be fine. He looks back at V.

“Nero’s here, I’m going to help him out. Please stay here.” The last part is more pleading than anything else, Sol knows V has pride, but no one could fight a demon this powerful in his state.

“Sparda’s kin…But you’re nothing more than an empty shell with no power,” Malphas says as Sol crawls to the edge and quietly drops down behind her, “You are as weak as your flesh, human.”

“Hey, we’re tougher than we look.” Nero replies offended by the insult. Sol sees Nero glance in his direction for a split second.

“But...there’s only one way to find out.” Nero shrugs.

Sol takes out his crossbow and loads it, he’s glad to see that the bolts he used fighting those demons in that strange dimension weren’t real and that he’s still full up.

“I will enjoy this!” Malphas cries in delight.

“Me too.” Sol says as he fires at the back of her head and watches it hit her in the face as she turns around to see who spoke.

Malphas shrieks as the bolt explodes in her face and Sol runs around the edge of the arena towards Nero. Who is charging in for a swing with his sword. He gets a few cuts in before she recovers enough to attack in kind. Unfortunately for Sol, she targets him. He quickly dodges the wave of spikes coming up from the ground that she sends his way and shoots another bolt.

The fight follows a basic pattern through. Nero goes in close and hits hard with his sword while Sol shoots from a distance and dodges spikes. Sol eventually runs out of explosive bolts and has to fall back to using regular ones. It doesn’t matter much as Malphas is clearly losing and close to death.

With a final stab straight through her torso, Nero kills her.

“She’s dead.” Sol says loud enough for V to hear.

A moment later Griffon carries him down to them. V lands on his knees and Sol walks over to help him up.

“Thanks Nero, we owe you.” He says as he hooks an arm under V.

“You two should turn around, your body’s not gonna last much longer V.” Nero says as he watches them struggle to walk.

“That, I cannot do. I must go.” V says just as his legs buckle and Sol is forced to bear his full weight.

Sol grunts in exertion as his own legs struggle to carry the weight of both of them.

“Dammit V! Don’t push yourself, you need some rest.” Nero says, coming over to help them.

“I must go…to where Urizen is.” V is one of the most stubborn people Sol had ever met, Nero isn’t going to win this argument.

“Why? Why the hell do you have to-” Nero starts to ask but V interrupts him.

“I beg you. This is my last request.” Both Sol and Nero feel the weight of V’s words.

Sol closes his eyes. When Nero says nothing for a long time he opens them and looks up at his friend.

Nero meets his eyes and sighs, shaking his head.

“Fine.” Nero hooks an arm under V’s other shoulder and helps Sol pretty much carry him.

“Dante is definitely going to beat us there.” Nero says as they start to walk.

-

Sol can’t help but admit that Nero was right, they’ve been walking for several minutes now and progress is _slow_. V’s skin is flaking off in droves and the sight makes Sol’s stomach turn. V was right, he had hours. And now it feels like he has minutes.

“I wanted to be protected and loved…” V begins. Sol wonders where he’s going with this.

“But I was alone. My only choice was to survive.” V _had_ wanted to get away from all this then.

Sol and Nero stumble as V nearly collapses between them.

“V, you gotta rest.” Nero tries again.

Sol is not surprised when it doesn’t work. They start walking again, more slowly than before. And they hadn’t been walking fast.

“Nero, I will tell you everything.” V wheezes. Sol cringes at how weak his voice sounds.

“There is no demon named Urizen. Only a man who threw away his humanity in an endless pursuit of power. He is Dante’s older brother.” He explains.

“Dante’s brother?” Nero asks.

“Yes.  And his real name is…Vergil.” V answers.

Sol keeps his mouth shut and waits for V to explain the rest.

“They’re brothers…why are they fighting each other?” Nero questions V.

“To see one’s justice through, a man must fight for it,” Ah, Sol has missed V’s non-answers, even in telling the truth he can still find a chance to give one it seems, “Even if the one who stands before him is his kin.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Sol has to agree with Nero, it’s nonsensical.

“The brothers of blood disagree on the very reason of their existence. They must fight.” V’s voice lowers and takes on an edge as he speaks.

Just as he finishes they come to a hole in the floor.

“I think this is our stop.” Sol says.

He and Nero let go of V and jump down, V follows with the help of Griffon.

They land in a field of some kind, except the sky has cracks in it like a mirror. What is this place?

Question for a different time. In front of them Dante is standing with his sword on his shoulder and a large figure is laying on the ground a short distance away.

Sol helps V to his feet and hesitates as V gently let’s go of him and walks unsteadily forward on his cane.

“You’re late…just finishing up.” Dante says over his shoulder to them.

“Is that really your brother?” Nero asks Dante disbelievingly.

There isn’t much resemblance between the two. One’s a middle-aged dude with a sword and the other’s a nine-foot-tall demon. Sol’s eyes track V as he steps towards said demon.

“I’m afraid so.” Dante answers.

“So he was behind all this. Your own flesh and blood.” Nero realises.

Nero is unfortunately the last to that party, everyone else here already figured that out.

“Right again.” Dante replies.

Sol’s eyes are still on V as he hobbles over to Vergil.

“In the last throws of defeat I see.” Sol hears V say.

“You…” Vergil recognises V.

“V, get back. Things are about to get really messy.” Dante says hefting his sword off of his shoulder as he walks over to Vergil.

“No. Please,” V says raising a hand to stop Dante, “Let me. I want to end this battle, with my own hands.”

Dante steps back and lowers his sword. Sol watches V struggle to climb onto Vergil’s chest.

“Do not struggle. For if you can’t even defeat me, then you’ve already lost.” V says to his demon half. Sol only just catches the words, V’s voice fading further and further.

“I will not lose. Not to Dante.” Vergil replies stubbornly. Maybe that’s not a trait of V but just a trait of Vergil. _Are those two things even different?_ Sol asks internally.

“I need power, more power!” Vergil tries to move but only manages an inch.

“I know,” V kneels down on Vergil’s chest, “We are one and the same you and I.”

Sol gets a strange feeling, like something is about to go wrong.

“But you’ve lost me, and I’ve lost you.” V’s voice, there’s something off about V’s voice.

“Yet we are connected, by that one feeling.” Sol suddenly has the terrible thought that maybe V isn’t about to kill Vergil but instead do something much worse.

“While thy branches mix with mine, and our roots together join7.” V quotes and Sol knows. V isn’t about to kill Vergil. He can’t seem to move his feet to stop V, but Dante apparently can because he’s running towards them.

V brings down his cane and Sol knows it’s already too late to stop him.

A beam of light engulfs V and Vergil, forcing the other three to stumble back.

The beam of light trembles and explodes in a flash, as two figures skid away from each other. Sol immediately recognises the closer one as V, who’s on one knee with a hand on the ground, holding him up.

Sol rushes forward and helps him stand. He notices when he gets to V that the man’s skin is unmarred. V is…okay? He helps V to his feet and backs away from the other figure somewhat.

The figure slowly gets to his feet and Sol sees his face. He looks remarkably similar to Dante. This is what Vergil actually looks like, then.

“What was that? Why do you remain?” Vergil narrows his eyes at V. Sol holds V tighter and takes another step back.

“It did not work, we were unable to remerge. I was rejected. I have…changed too greatly.” V answers, confusion and astonishment in his tone.

“You’re a separate person now.” Sol doesn’t mean to whisper it aloud as he comes to the realisation, and recoils at everyone’s eyes on him.

“You are part of me, we cannot be separated. _Return_.” Vergil orders.

Sol pulls V further away. He is absolutely not letting that happen, if it even can. He starts in shock as Dante steps in front of them. The guy glances back at them, the look he gives V is a strange one.

“Didn’t peg you for it kid, I’ll admit,” His eyes move to Sol, “Get him out of here.”

Sol gives him a short nod and does just that. He’s glad V doesn’t fight him. When they’ve left the chamber entirely he glances at V to see the man in a state of shock. He walks them a little further away and then stops.

“You’re alive.” He says as he holds V at arm’s length and stares into his eyes.

“Yes, I am aware.” V blinks back.

“No, say it.” He replies. He can tell V doesn’t quite believe it, he needs to.

“I’m…alive.” V says slowly, testing out the words.

“And you’re going to stay that way if there’s anything I can do about it,” Sol replies as he turns to walk on, “We should head back to the van.”

“Yes.” V says distractedly, walking beside him.

They walk in silence for a while, Sol giving V time to come to terms with what’s just happened. After several minutes he remembers the question he asked V just a few hours ago and smiles.

“You have the rest of your life to decide now.” He says. And he’s happy for him.

“To decide what, might I ask?” V says, not following his train of thought.

“What you want to do, where you want to go. I asked you what you’d be doing if none of this was happening and you said you’d never had the chance to think about it. Now you do.” Sol’s heart feels light and full, just minutes ago he was watching this man die before his eyes unable to do anything. But now V is alive, he’s okay. And he has all the options in the world.

“I suppose I do.” V says quietly. V looks overwhelmed by this revelation. Sol bites his lip and decides to suggest something risky.

“When this is over I plan to ask Nero if he has room in his crew for me,” He says catching V’s eyes, “But before I go back to devil hunting…we could travel.”

V’s eyes are full of something he can’t name, and he looks away embarrassed by what his own words.

“Ya know, if you want company while you’re figuring stuff out.” He adds nervously, avoiding V’s gaze.

He startles at V’s touch on the back of his hand, eyes locking onto his.

“Your company would be very welcome.” V’s tone is warm. Sol swallows as he stares at V’s intense gaze.

They stand there for what feels like eternity before V breaks away and starts to walk down the path.

“Come on, we should keep moving.”

Sol hesitates a second longer, allowing a small smile to form on his lips. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen next, but he knows whatever it is, it will be good.

 

-

 _Love and harmony combine,_ _  
And round our souls entwine 7_

-

End

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Reference:  
> 1\. Proverbs Of Hell by William Blake  
> 2\. A Poison Tree by William Blake  
> 3\. Life Of William Blake by William Blake  
> 4\. Night by William Blake  
> 5\. A Dream by William Blake  
> 6\. To Winter by William Blake  
> 7\. Love and Harmony by William Blake
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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